Mbali Ntuli has resigned from the DA, citing growth as a community activist as the main reason for her exit.
The former provincial campaigns director for the party in KwaZulu-Natal also relinquished her duties for the party in the provincial legislature.
In a statement on Thursday Ntuli, who served the DA for 15 years, said when she launched the party’s branch at Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape, she believed South Africans needed an alternative voice that would challenge the ANC.
“I joined the DA when I was 19 and I was organising on campus. I was able to interact with many young people of different backgrounds with the same dream for South Africa,” she said.
Ntuli’s departure follows that of Bongani Baloyi, the former mayor of Midvaal local municipality who resigned from the party in January. Phumzile van Damme, the former DA parliamentarian, dumped the party in June 2021
Sunday World reported on numerous occasions in 2021 that the official opposition was allegedly purging its black leaders. Ntuli previously challenged John Steenhuisen for the leadership of the party.
Ntuli explained: “My colleagues in the DA know better than most of the difficult and relentless challenges that I have faced in the party, in part because so many have played out in the public domain, but also because our party is not immune to gossip.
“I don’t wish to rehash any of those challenges which are publicly known and have been raised internally on numerous occasions.
“I have been forthright about instances where the DA has erred in its treatment of its members and the negative culture that is fostered within the organisation, my opposition of which formed part of my year-long campaign for DA leader in 2020.”
She thanked her colleagues and those from other political parties.
“I want in particular to thank the women of the ANC, IFP and EFF in the provincial legislature. I was the youngest female member and many of you treated me like a daughter and afforded me the respect of a colleague”.
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