Mbali Ntuli announces candidacy with fiery criticism of DA leadership

Mbali Ntuli has thrown herself into the race for the Democratic Alliance (DA) leadership contest. Announcing her candidacy in the upcoming DA leadership election, the former Youth League head was clear about what she thought about the party’s current status quo.

Who is Mbali Ntuli?

At just 31-years-old, Ntuli is the former Provincial Campaigns Director for the party in KwaZulu-Natal. She currently serves as a member of the KZN Legislature and serves as the DA KZN spokesperson on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA).

She previously served as leader of the Democratic Alliance Youth. Ntuli also studied at Rhodes University.

Ntuli’s fiery announcement: Key things she mentioned

On Friday, Ntuli launched her candidacy campaign with the tagline “A New Way”.

This formed as the premise of her address when she explained to media personnel why she had decided to contest for the DA leadership position against the likes of John Steenhuisen, the current interim leader, Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela, and Gauteng leader John Moodey

Addressing the press briefing in Rosebank, Johannesburg, Ntuli was pretty candid about her thoughts on the current leadership direction the DA has embarked on with Steenhuisen and Federal Executive leader, Helen Zille, in the cockpit.

In a nutshell, she is overtly opposed to it. Known as an outspoken leader within the youth leadership ranks of the party, Ntuli made a number of interesting statements about the DA’s current woes.

“The current leadership can’t steer the party in the right direction”

Right on the onset, Ntuli admitted that the exits of Mmusi Maimane and Herman Mashaba, key figures of the party’s progressive caucus, exposed the DA’s shortcomings in the direction it was taking.

She indicated that the majority of party members still upheld the progressive politics that were once attractive to many South Africans.

“I fundamentally believe that people in the Democratic Alliance, or the majority of us, want to make the DA work again, and we want to make South Africa work,” she said.

“The real DA is not defined by those who tweet a lot”

Ntuli also noted that the DA she will lead won’t rely on Twitter to propagate its agenda, a comment that was seen as a subliminal jab aimed at Zille whose tweets have drawn ire from supporters on a number of occasions, earning her the nickname Godzille.

#MbaliNtuli says she wants South Africans to experience the @Our_DA she knows and not what they’ve been exposed to by those who are tweeting. (Swipe at the likes of @helenzille Colonial tweets ? ) #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/cwmK4H6nsj

— #TheLordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) February 7, 2020

“Inclusivity in policy direction is vital”

Ntuli closed off her address by indicating that much like the party’s fundamental stance on the amendment of Section 25 of the Constitution, she stood against the expropriation of land without compensation.

She also noted that under her stewardship, the DA would adopt a more inclusive method of policymaking, and not leaving such a crucial process to a few leaders.

#MbaliNtuli : The appointment of @GwenNgwenya was unusual and we also should have seen draft policy documents before hand. #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/ZZys1mrfZq

— #TheLordOfTheMedia (@samkelemaseko) February 7, 2020

Ntuli’s fate will be decided in May when the party heads to the elective conference to select its new leader.