BLAXIT
Zwakele Mncwango resigns as DA’s KZN chief whip, says party no longer represents aspirations of majority
Zwakele Mncwango’s announcement of his resignation from the KZN legislature on Wednesday morning caught many political pundits by surprise. He remains a DA member.
The DA has moved from the centre to the right and no longer represents the aspirations of the majority of South Africans, according to Zwakele Mncwango, the outgoing DA chief whip in the KZN Legislature and KZN DA leader from 2015 to 2021.
Mncwango’s announcement of his resignation from the KZN legislature on Wednesday morning caught many political pundits by surprise. He remains a DA member.
His announcement follows the exit of a number of prominent black DA leaders. Former DA youth leader Makashule Gana left the party in August. Mbali Ntuli, an MPL in the KZN legislature, left in March. Outspoken MP Phumzile van Damme resigned from the party in May 2021. Former DA leader Mmusi Maimane and former Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba left the party after the 2019 general elections.
DA Federal Council Chair Helen Zille has dismissed the loss of black party leaders as no “big deal”, adding that “people come and go”.
‘Definitely not ANC-bound’
Mncwango said he was definitely not going to the ANC and that he was quitting to reflect on his future. He said he would decide his political future before 15 October.
“People who understand me and what I stand for will know that I will never join the ANC. In reaching this decision, I engaged in much soul-searching and reflection and decided I had to evaluate how much more of a contribution I could make going forward. I decided to resign from my political position and salary so that I could get some time to reflect.
“I don’t think that there is an intention from the organisation to push out [black] leaders. I was not being pushed out or purged. But I do strongly believe that the party that I joined with the hope that we can be able to build a country that is united together has faded.
“I had this hope that we can build something that can take out the ANC and actually look at the interest of all South Africans.”
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He said the party had shifted to the right and this had alienated him and many other moderates. He said the moderates and the conservatives were no longer “sharing the same values and not sharing the same vision” and there was a “disconnect” in the party.
“Slowly, I was finding myself in a space where the values that I believed in were somehow not being fulfilled by the organisation in terms of working in the [KZN] legislature. When you work in the legislature you have a responsibility to defend the organisation in many ways.”
He said he could not defend some of the positions of the DA in public with confidence.
Francois Rodgers, the DA leader in KZN, said: “The DA would like to wish Zwakele all the best as he begins a new chapter in his personal journey.”
Black leader exodus to have ‘significant’ effect
Zakhele Ndlovu, a UKZN-based analyst, said the exodus of black leaders from the DA would have a significant effect on the party’s standing, especially among black voters.
“The departure of these prominent black leaders in the DA raises eyebrows and also reinforces the stereotype or perception that the DA is not a comfortable home for black people and black leaders to grow and express themselves.
“The DA has realised that placing black people in prominent positions has not helped it to grow and win support amongst the majority black voters.
“I think at this particular time the DA doesn’t care whether black leaders come and go because it has not helped its ambitions of growing black support and it would rather stick with the white and minority leaders who will keep the white, Indian and coloured support for the party.” DM
This article was updated on 6 October, 2022 to clarify that Zwakele Mncwango quit his post in the KZN legislature on Wednesday, but remains a DA member.
He is right.
The DA has become a right-wing party captured by the ideology of think tanks like the IRR.
It is no longer a viable option as a national opposition party in SA.
The DA has some great representatives at the local and municipal level who work hard, are uncorrupt and dedicated to improving SA. Which makes it all the more disappointing.
The DA needs a complete change in leadership at the national, or as it likes to say “federal” level (SA is not a federation but the DA likes to play at it). It remains the only opposition party with the necessary electoral, fundraising etc. infrastructure in place to really challenge the ANC but it will never be able to do so under Helen Zille and John Steenhuisen. Just like the Conservatives in the UK, the DA needs a complete reset if it is to ever be competitive at the national level.
100% agree. A strong DA is our best hope to lead a challenging coalition in 2024, but not with the current leadership. They need to let go and find leaders who resonate more strongly with voters.
I disagree. Its the voters that must change their mindset. Live with the filth that rules, or ignore their race based voting and vote for a party that delivers.
Well said, Malcolm. Do the voters want competent officials running their local, provincial, and national administrations or not? Forget about whether one ‘likes’ those administrators or not.
I fully agree with your sentiments. Unfortunately, neither the Madame nor Mr John have the insight to admit that they are not attractive for the majority of the country. In the interest of the country, both should make sure that the right persons step into their respective shoes, but this requires a stature neither of them got.
The country doesn’t need attractive. It needs integrity, professional skills and passion for all our people. If even at this point of destruction our voters remain too blinded by race to see that these are the only attributes that will save everyone, you certainly can’t blame the DA for it.
Please state which policies of the DA you consider as right wing. You hear this accusations often, but never any details. Situations like the Phoenix posters cannot be seen as DA policy, but rather activities of individuals. I think some people use the term right wing quite flexibly when they simply don’t agree with someone pushing back on some left wing ideas. By simply accusing that person or party to be right wing, you can very simply avoid any discussions.
“Right Wing” as used by all those from Mashaba onwards, who quit because the climb to the top is long and uncertain, is black code for White. Or even for Non-Racial. To call Zille a right winger is ludicrous, and reveals a deliberately blind view of her history and her values.
The DA has remained steadfast in its values and policies (aside from a wobble towards racial referencing during the Mazibuko era), and Mncwango would do his legacy more good by being more honest about his reasons for giving up the struggle so early.
Fully agree. However, if you are young & black, being a prominent black DA politician is about the uncoolest thing that can be imagined. The pressure to resign to damage the DA must be ever present. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if there is the odd sleeper in the party that is activated to resign at an opportune time.
Disagree. Our policies must be based on merit and not race, on ability to get the job done, not on who you know or are loyal to.
Have the DA’s policies really changed ? Journalists – please inform us readers if that is true. The DA’s anti- corruption policy has not changed. Or, could it be that some of these people might be eyeing tender benefits.
Look what Chris Pappas is doing by being honest.
Bottom Line “He said the party had shifted to the right and this had alienated him and many other moderates. He said the moderates and the conservatives were no longer “sharing the same values and not sharing the same vision” and there was a “disconnect” in the party.”
Examples please.
He is certainly not leaving himself much time to reflect. Pretty much a few days. Methinks he has already been purchased. Probably one of these new parties that are causing bolts in the reactors. I doubt he needs to decide his political future. He has clearly chosen a price and direction.
Maybe he will join BOSA?
How much was the offer???The DA remains the party of all South Africans. It’s not a self serving party good that he decided to leave and they rather find someone more suitable for the position that want to serve the people and that cares greatly for our people and our beautiful country.
God bless the DA.
Exactly. He is following the money. We should know who made the offer in a few days.
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….
Aunty Helen as you seem to like calling her, presided over the advancement of many blacks in the party, like Mazibuko, Mashaba etc, and retired about 8 (?) years ago, on handing over to Maimane. When the new deal turned pear-shaped, and the DA lost support badly in the next elections, she acknowledged her role in the new direction which set the party back so badly, and offered to come out of retirement to undo the errors and get the party back on its previous, winning tracks. To her eternal credit.
I personally can think of no finer a person to lead the DA. What is the essence of your “aunty” gripe? Would Uncle be better, or would either be much older than you? Too white? The complacency of the Maimane era is gone, the DA is fixing itself, and the opportunists who find themselves unable to contribute are bailing out.
Good, I say; another one who found his values clashed has bitten the dust.
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.
The majority of voters don’t value good governance and its benefits. Their values need to be questioned. Not the DA’s. At least the voters should give them a chance to prove themselves further than they already have. 28 years of ANC rule has done nothing for the voters except drive them further into subjection and poverty. Wherever they rule they destroy. The DA will make mistakes, but certainly these will be exceptions rather than the norm. They will also learn from their mistakes and rectify them unlike the ANC who will just deny and carry on as if nothing has happened.