The shock resignation of the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Eastern Cape provincial chairperson‚ Veliswa Mvenya‚ has sent the party into a tailspin‚ prompting panicked party bosses to rope in former leader Helen Zille to assist. The DA’s top leadership‚ including Zille and current leader Mmusi Maimane‚ was locked in a meeting on Wednesday in a bid to come up with strategies to convince Mvenya not to leave.But Mvenya was not at the meeting and had switched off her phone.Her resignation has to do with infighting within the party in the Eastern Cape – with relations between her and provincial leader and federal chairperson Athol Trollip at an all-time low. Mvenya’s departure will severely hamper the DA’s hopes of winning the Nelson Mandela Bay metro in the upcoming local government elections and dent their attempts to make inroads in ANC-dominated areas in the Eastern Cape.Trollip is the DA’s mayoral candidate in the Mandela Metro. The Dispatch can reveal that she submitted her letter of resignation to the party’s Bhisho office on Wednesday afternoon.The letter was then forwarded to the chairperson of the DA Federal Council James Selfe. After she resigned‚ Mvenya sent a text message to a colleague in the legislature which read: “Unfortunately I have just resigned from the DA. It was a painful decision to make but I had to. I am not selling my soul to the ANC I will rather go to bed on an empty stomach or go back to teaching. Veliswa Mvenya.”At least seven independent sources‚ in the province and at the DA’s head office‚ confirmed her resignation. Fears of a 'new COPE' sneaking in to snatch Nelson Mandela BayForget the opposition, the ANC is worried that its own comrades may turn against it and hand Nelson Mandela Bay to its political rivals.Western Cape DA MPL Masizole Mnqasela said on Wednesday night that he had called Mvenya as soon as he heard the news. “I can say on record‚ I am one of the people trying to talk her out of this.“The organisation is busy looking into best ways to manage this situation. Remember‚ people are allowed to be angry‚ and they vent their anger in different ways.“We are talking to her to make her understand that we can resolve these issues‚” said Mnqasela. Mvenya is the second DA MPL to leave the party in less than a year after Dorothy Matikinca resigned from Bhisho and the party in July‚ accusing the party of racism.Party insiders said Mvenya’s letter “shocked everyone”.“This is a heavy blow for the DA towards these local elections‚” said a senior party leader.The former teacher from Butterworth is credited for launching DA branches in rural villages around the province and is seen as someone who contributed to the DA’s growth within black communities.The party took 26% of the votes in the Eastern Cape in 2014.Her supporters in the party have previously accused Trollip of sidelining them from the party’s candidates’ lists towards the August 3 local government elections.Trollip denies this‚ saying those who were crying foul had been rejected based on their performance.Mvenya defied the party provincial executive’s recommendation that she should not stand for the position of provincial chairperson in 2014 – a contest which saw her defeat Edmund van Vuuren‚ who was the favoured candidate.DA national spokesperson Phumzile van Damme said she was unable to comment on the matter because she did not have “all the facts”.“The matter will be dealt with by the provincial leader‚ Athol Trollip when he returns to the Eastern Cape. He is currently in a workshop‚” she added.Approached for comment‚ Trollip said: “I am currently in Cape Town until tomorrow in a workshop.“I don’t have all the information in this regard and cannot comment on this matter until I’ve got all these facts and spoken to the chairperson (Mvenya).“So until I’m in a position to respond coherently and comprehensively I cannot comment.” Mvenya was not available for comment as her phone remained off for most of the day. – TMG Digital/Daily Dispatch..