Lungani Zungu
The DA has suffered yet another blow after two councillors in the Tshwane City Council dumped the party, citing racism. This comes after the DA lost four wards in last month’s by-elections.
Mike Mkhari, former MMC for Agriculture Management and Rose Maake, a PR councillor in Soshanguve, resigned with immediate effect on Tuesday.
In their statement, Mkhari and Maake said the DA was a racist party, and some of its leaders were bullies, disrespectful, undermining and had bossy tendencies.
“I have put up with these tendencies for a long time. I couldn’t take it anymore, that is why I decided to leave the party,” Mkhari told Scrolla.Africa.
He said the DA is divided between us and them from its top brass right down to branch leaders.
“If you raise issues with the leadership, it depends on which side you are on and which cabal you are part of,” he said.
He said he was targetted by other DA councillors even in the city caucus of the DA-led Tshwane municipality.
Their exit followed that of former DA MP Phumzile van Damme, who resigned from Parliament recently.
Mpho Mehlape-Zimu, the DA’s regional leader in Tshwane, accused the two councillors of being disingenuous to claim that the DA was a racist party.
“Both of them were leaders in the organisation but never took action,” she said.
Opposing the racism claims, Mehlape-Zimu said they left after a disciplinary action against non-performing councillors.
“It is regrettable that these councillors resigned rather than making an effort to improve their performance and continue serving the Tshwane residents,” she said.
The long list of high-profile politicians who have ditched the DA included its former leader Mmusi Maimane, ex-Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba, and former mayor of Cape Town, Patricia De Lille.
With less than five months before the 27 October municipal elections, the continued exodus of black leaders does not bode well for the DA.
Picture source: LinkedIn & SABC
