Durban - Lindiwe Mazibuko, the one-time former parliamentary leader of the DA says she would “probably not” join the party currently if she was asked to come on board again.
Mazibuko served as the parlimentary leader during for party leader Helen Zille's reign. She was seen in some sections as the heir apparent to Zille, but she unceremoniously left the party to study in Harvard in the US after a showdown with senior leaders over the party's policy position on BEE amongst other policies.
Mazibuko says the DA has been “captured by a certain faction of the party”.
She added that the recent exodus of senior black leaders like Mmusi Maimane and former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba was a result of the closing down of space for dissenting voices within the party.
Mazibuko made these claims on Monday while speaking to TV news channel, eNCA. After being quizzed about her political school, Apolitical Academy, which she is currently running, Mazibuko was asked whether she would join the DA in its current shape.
Mazibuko said she would not, citing that space for fresh ideas within the party was diminishing increasingly.
“I think it's quite clear that there has been an exodus of some of the most talented people in that organisation. I think it’s clear that it has been captured by a certain faction of the party and often when that happens when a party cannot accommodate diverse voices, people who like to challenge, who like to bring fresh ideas... not just (people who) like to catapult to the status quo, (people who do not) tire of fighting every single day, eventually move on to greener pastures,” Mazibuko said.
Recently the DA also lost former Joburg DA Caucus leader Funzela Ngobeni to Mashaba’s new party, the People's Dialogue. Ngobeni served as a finance MMC in the City of Johannesburg under Mashaba.
When asked by Independent Media to be clear and explain how the DA has been captured, Mazibuko declined to comment further.
DA interim leader John Steenhuisen also declined to respond to Mazibuko's remarks on Tuesday.