From Mbali Ntuli to Zwakele Mncwango — DA politicians who left the party this year

This year, SA had to keep up with who was in and who was leaving the DA.

Here are four resignations in 2022 that rocked the official opposition:

Mbali Ntuli

The former DA KwaZulu-Natal leader was the first to leave the party this year. 

Ntuli said the decision was made to enable her to work with community leaders across the country to foster socioeconomic and political change. 

“It is time for me to take a break from formal politics, get back on the ground and help real change-makers make our country better. I am excited for what comes next and am confident that the work ahead will bring me closer to my purpose. I look forward to informing you of how I plan to do this in the near future.” . 

Makashule Gana

The former member of the Gauteng provincial legislature resigned after 20 years in the party. 

He cited a growing distrust in the DA as his reason for leaving, saying this had resulted in many voters not voting out of despair and disappointment. 

“I am resigning to join an emerging generation of leaders and activists committed to mobilising and organising to return power to the people of South Africa.

“I do not believe any of the existing political parties can reorientate their politics and internal culture to regain public trust on a massive scale,” said Gana.

Patricia Kopane 

The former Free State DA leader said she no longer believed the DA was the political vehicle that she joined in 2003. Kopane was a DA member for 19 years, 13 of them as an MP.

She told TimesLIVE things became sour in 2020 after former leader Mmusi Maimane’s departure.

“After Mmusi left, things were really bad. What I’m trying to say is, it wasn’t going in the right direction. You realised, ‘here, this is no longer the movement that I thought I’m joining to do what is right’.

“But I’m grateful for the honour and privilege that was given to me to serve the people of South Africa. I leave without regrets and I leave with a clear conscience.

“They invested in me, those people. It is unfortunate that those who joined later wanted to change the organisation,” she said.

Zwakele Mncwango

The former DA provincial leader attributed his sudden departure from the party to a toxic culture and an alleged attempt by federal chairperson Helen Zille to silence him.

In his resignation letter, Mncwango spoke of an alleged culture of suppressing freedom of speech of membership and censuring those who exercise such a right as abhorrent to the core values of a party which attracted him to the DA.

“The DA always talks about freedom of speech on public platforms, but sadly it has become evident that this right is reserved for a selected few, particularly Ms Zille who, it seems, has a right to tweet her opinions on social media, without repercussions or consequences, let alone censure as it is done to others,” Mncwango said.

“Without anything personal against Ms Zille, I have found it unconscionable to continue my membership with the DA where the perception of an autocratic-like leader is debasing the very values that lured me to the party.”

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