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CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 14: Democratic Alliance (DA) National Spokesperson Phumzile van Damme speaks during the 2017 State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate at the National Assembly on February 14, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. Political parties debated President Jacob Zuma’s SONA which was marred by chaos, violence and insults. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Jaco Marais)

Just in: Phumzile Van Damme resigns as DA MP

Phumzile Van Damme has admitted that the decision to leave the DA was not an easy one and has no plans of joining another political party

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CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 14: Democratic Alliance (DA) National Spokesperson Phumzile van Damme speaks during the 2017 State of the Nation Address (SONA) debate at the National Assembly on February 14, 2017 in Cape Town, South Africa. Political parties debated President Jacob Zuma’s SONA which was marred by chaos, violence and insults. (Photo by Gallo Images / Beeld / Jaco Marais)

Phumzile Van Damme has announced her resignation as a Democratic Alliance (DA) Member of Parliament and is also leaving the party.

In a statement released on Thursday evening, 20 May 2021, Van Damme admits it wasn’t an easy decision to make. Her exit makes her one of several high-profile members to leave the party on a not-so-good note, following the likes of John Moodey and Mmusi Maimane.

Some might say her resignation was to be expected, particularly given her strained relationship with DA leader John Steenhuisen. They’ve both been at loggerheads ever since Steenhuisen forced Van Damme to go on a three-month sabbatical, back in December.

At the time, Van Damme had taken three months leave to deal with a chronic illness, but still continued with her parliamentary duties. Steenhuisen said the decision to place Van Damme on sabbatical was a mutual one – which she called him out on and denied was true.

Steenhuisen then removed Van Damme as the DA’s shadow minister of Communications, replacing her with Zakhele Mbhele, who was previously deputy shadow minister of Small Business.

Why is Phumzile Van Damme leaving the DA?

Perhaps foreseeing all kinds of speculation surrounding her exit, Phumzile Van Damme has assured South Africans that she leaves the DA on her own terms – and unlike others before her, she has no plans of engaging in rows with the party.

“To be clear, I will not be joining another political party, nor will I be using my time to launch attacks on the DA. I leave on my own terms, having made my own decision. Nonetheless, in a climate of rumours and the need to create heroes and villains, my resignation as an MP is not because the DA is the so-called “racist party” but because of a clique of individuals – and in order not to make the good women and men still in the DA suffer, I will not delve further into this”

Former DA MP Phumzile Van Damme