‘I think Lungile Phenyane is in some positions to split votes’: Mbali Ntuli wishes ambitious DA member ‘luck’

Former DA KwaZulu-Natal MPL Mbali Ntuli has wished DA member Lungile Phenyane luck in running for all the party’s federal positions despite not knowing her.

The DA member from Gauteng did the unexpected by running for all leadership positions in the party. Six top positions are up for grabs at the opposition party’s federal congress next month.

Ntuli said she thinks Phenyane is strategically in some positions to split votes.

“The DA has two voting methods. FPTP [first past the post], meaning the person with most votes wins. If there are more than two contestants, it uses STV [single transferable vote] voting. I’ve never heard of Lungile Phenyane and I wish her luck. If I was cynical, however, I would think strategically Lungile Phenyane is in some positions to split votes,” said Ntuli.

“I don’t like the STV system because it can become a lottery because you force people to rank candidates they don’t want and basically work out the numbers you need to win and how your voters must down vote the other people. When unsure if you can win, introduce a third candidate.”

Phenyane has never served in a DA leadership position.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, she suggested running for all leadership positions in the party was to show women and youth in the DA that they can go for these positions.

“This is not about individuals but growing and uniting the party. Grooming the next generation of leaders to make sure women and young people also occupy such positions, changing the lives of our people,” she said.

Phenyane said she will let democracy decide if she is up to the task for any of the six positions.

“Democracy will speak and whatever they see me capable of I will accept. Deputy in the council will be more appropriate, deputy of the federal council, I don't say I am creating confusion. I will be better used in the deputy position,” she said.

EFF member Fana Mokoena said Phenyane wants to be the DA.

“Lungile Phenyane wants to be the DA. The whole entire thing,” he said.

“Encourage all members of the DA to vote for Lungile Phenyane in all positions. The DA is dying anyway. It might as well die in style in a way we can all remember. Who knows, maybe she is the secret ingredient. Everyone else has been tested and failed but Lungile.”

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