Zwakele Mncwango resigns as DA's KZN chief whip, says party no longer represents aspirations of majority

Aunty Helen needs to leave, retirement is long overdue, if saying something like "no big deal, people come and go" is accurate reporting then it shows her sense of denial. Challenging the ANC is a big deal, even if they have lost their way, and it is going to take a bigger 'deal' than the current DA to make changes. The DA is too complacent, hoping that common sense and logically minded South Africans will come around to their view of reality on the day of the vote. You are helping to pave the way for the red crazies to gain a stronger foothold. It starts with Aunty Helen retiring from politics....

Like many others, I was not aware that the DA has 'shifted to the right'. Much more likely that he has been offered seemingly greener grass in other pastures. Sadly both Helen and John provide a believable excuse to bed-hoppers. While both are good politicians, with integrity, neither has the necessary charisma to woo new voters, and Helen in particular, comes across all too often as arrogant.

I don't buy his argument. He will soon surface under a new banner. It confirms my view that poltics is about the best offer on the table.

DM. Please can you get some specifics from this gentleman. I would really love to know what positions the DA has taken that he battled to defend in public. I would like to know in what way the DA is looking after certain interests, what those interests are and in what way in his opinion the DA doesn't look after the interests of all South Africans. Vague references to the DA's supposed failings don't help me as a voter understand why I shouldn't be supporting the DA, so please let him spell it out clearly. Maybe publically taking the leadership on about their failings from within the organisation is a better way to bring about change than resigning with a whimper. And a strong DA governing(or any other viable alternative) that reduces corruption and crime, improves electrical supply, employment, healthcare and education surely is benefitting the entire population, not just selective interests. When SA is 80% healed, maybe then it is time to be a little more selective about which party you belong to, but now is not the time. Roll up your sleeves and make a difference.

Why is it that only the black leaders of the DA are highlighted as 'leaving the party'? Immediately Helen and John are blamed every time ... does it not speak more about tenacity, or lack thereof, in the scores of black leaders leaving? Perhaps the DA doesn't have enough of an instant get-rich programme for top leaders, like a few of the other parties around?

I agree with those sentiments that asks: give examples of how the DA has moved to the Right. Every time Helen write about something, it makes sense. Both John and Helen are the best we have in SA.

DM writing lies? His Facebook post mentions nothing along the lines of "Zwakele Mncwango resigns as DA’s KZN chief whip, says party no longer represents aspirations of majority".

Ptetca's view that the DA is a right-wing party makes no sense. I suggest that he/she should read the DA's excellent document "Economic Justice: A Sustainable Development Goal Model. The DA's plan for South Africa to beat the past and build the future." No other SA party has articulated such a clear and straight down-the-middle vision in response to the ANC's "A better life for all" falsehood.

politics in SA needs a complete reboot. The tripartite alliance is one in name only. The palatable part is the old UDF and a few elements of ANC in exile. The RET and SACP and Labor are dinosaurs that no 30y middle class SA family relate to. ActionSA will attract a big vote if they can get organized nationally - pity Musi started another of the same. Several small parties need to take stock and get over themselves and merge into one opposition. That church party, the IFP, the old Conservative Party, COPE, GOOD, only serve to split votes (while creating party jobs for all those leaders, secretaries general, etc etc etc). The DA needs to look in the mirror and realize that it is not representative of middle SA. Why can’t we form one centrist party consisting of parts of ANC and most of the rest?? Or at least an alliance if the damned politicians like their titles! It is the old Crayfish Syndrome at play and all these yapping little parties are playing EXACTLY the game the ANC wants them to play.

The DA has to realise that to get support from Africans they have to do more than "recruit African leaders" - the values of the DA actually has to reflect the hopes and dreams of the Africans. And I do not mean inside the DA, as the ANC does; I am speaking of that the DA must really be serious with building a SA where Africans can realise their dreams and hopes. And it starts with more respect for the SA Constitution. Both in its handling of coalition talks and in the way they force the will of their leaders down on their public representatives are not in line with the values of the SA Constitution. And besides that the DA also likes to stir up conflict in order to get votes. Now in the USA that may work, but Africans as I know them are offended by it; it is not in line with the respect that are such a deep part of ubuntu values. And in doing that, the DA is letting SA down. I agree with Ptetca; they will need a complete reset just like the Tories in Britain. But in the case of the DA I don't even know if they are capable of it. Climbing into bed with the NP 21 years ago may have been the final straw that destroyed their crebility.