Cape Town - DA MP Phumzile van Damme has resigned from Parliament and the party but will not be joining any of its rivals.
Van Damme confirmed her resignation on her Twitter page and that she was leaving with a sore heart.
Her departure was later confirmed by DA spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube.
”The DA has received and accepted the resignation of Phumzile van Damme as a member of Parliament and from the party,” Gwarube said in a statement.
She wished Van Damme well in her future endeavours and thanked her former colleague for what she described as her “extraordinary service” to the DA in Parliament and the country.
According to Gwarube, Van Damme played a key role in taking on Bell Pottinger’s disinformation campaign and fighting for an independent SABC as a member of the National Assembly’s portfolio committee on communications.
She said during her tenure as DA national spokesperson, Van Damme demonstrated her talent as a political communicator.
Van Damme said her decision to abandon the DA was not easy and that she is leaving with a heavy heart.
”To be clear, I will not be joining another political party nor will I be using my time to launch attacks on the DA,” she said.
Van Damme said she was leaving on her own terms.
”My resignation as an MP is not because the DA is a so-called ‘racist party’ but because of a clique of individuals – and in order not to make the good women and men still in the DA suffer, I will not delve further into this,” she explained.
Van Damme said she was focused on the future and would not be drawn into any negativity emanating from the DA.
IOL