Eusebius on TimesLIVE

PODCAST | Mbali Ntuli exits DA, critiques party factionalism

17 March 2022 - 14:37
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In an interview with TimesLIVE, former DA politician and leader Mbali Ntuli gives her reasons for leaving the party and the political stage. File photo.
In an interview with TimesLIVE, former DA politician and leader Mbali Ntuli gives her reasons for leaving the party and the political stage. File photo.
Image: Sandile Ndlovu

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In an interview with TimesLIVE analyst and contributor Eusebius McKaiser, former DA politician and leader Mbali Ntuli explains her reasons for leaving the party and the political stage. On Eusebius on TimesLIVE, she paints a picture of a political culture that had taken root in the DA that is factionalist, leading to the “weaponising” of structures and processes, including disciplinary processes, for factional ends.

While describing herself as being “emotional” about her shock announcement today, she intimated that plenty of thought and planning had gone into the decision. 

Another reason for her decision to quit the DA was a feeling of despair that SA's party political system is not delivering justice and equity to communities across the country. This, she shared with McKaiser, made her re-examine whether she is sufficiently grounded within communities, despite being part of representative political structures and systems.

She was alluding to a crisis in politics generally, and felt that pivoting towards community-based work in the immediate future, as she intends to do, is important for reconnecting with ordinary South Africans.

While not undermining the work of legislative bodies, she argues that it is “easy” to do committee work, for example, and to be disconnected from communities.

She intends to return to politics because it is “in the blood” but has no plans to join another political vehicle. 

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