Durban - DA leader Nicole Graham has resigned as the leader of the party in eThekwini.
She will be leaving her position as the caucus leader and as executive committee councillor in the eThekwini Municipality at the end of July. She will be leaving the country for Australia.
She briefed her caucus at about 9am this morning about her departure.
Graham said her reasons to leave the party were not mired in any controversy but she is intending to pursue her studies at the university of Sydney.
In a statement, Graham said: “It is with a heavy and grateful heart that I give public notice of my resignation from my role as leader of the Democratic Alliance in the eThekwini Council. This is effective as of the end of June.
“Following on from this, I intend to resign from the eThekwini Council entirely by the end of July 2022. I remain a committed, proud member of the Democratic Alliance, as I have been since 2007.
“My resignation is because I have been accepted to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Sydney.
“I joined the DA when I was 17 in 2007 and have been fortunate enough to have had access to world-class leadership and development opportunities in and through my roles in the party. I became a member of the eThekwini Council in 2011 and served 11 years on Council on the 18th of May 2022. I have been a Councillor since I was 21 years old,” she said.
“Professionally, academically and personally, it is time for me to move on.”
DA Provincial Leader Francois Rodgers said: "The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal acknowledges receipt of Nicole Graham’s resignation letter. As the DA in KZN, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Nicole for her contribution to different party structures over the past 11 years. We wish her well as she begins a new chapter in her life."