Phumzile Van Damme ‘terminates’ her DA membership
In May, Van Damme resigned as DA MP due to her unhappiness with a 'clique of individuals'.
Phumzile van Damme during the Democratic Alliance (DA) manifesto launch at the Rand Stadium on 23 February 2019 in Johannesburg. Picture: Gallo Images
Former DA MP Phumzile Van Damme on Saturday confirmed she terminated her DA membership.
She said her decision was based on the future projects she will be working on and that her membership within the party could become problematic in future.
“The misinformation monitoring and combatting project we will be rolling out during election season requires that I be non-partisan,” she said.
I have decided to terminate my DA membership. The misinformation monitoring and combatting project we will be rolling out during election season requires that I be non-partisan. Our plans are at an advanced stage. South Africa, first. Always has been.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) June 26, 2021
In May, Van Damme’s resigned as an MP, with some thinking this meant she was leaving the opposition party as well. At the time, she said she was leaving the party and Parliament, due to her unhappiness with a “clique of individuals”.
Van Damme would later clarify she had actually said in her MP resignation letter to the DA that she would remain in the DA. If the party now thought different then it must have been a “genuine mistake” or a “misunderstanding”, she said.
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As the party’s former spokesperson and shadow minister of communications, Van Damme said the departure will allow her to focus on writing her memoirs and continuing her efforts against misinformation.
She hinted on Twitter this will continue and her passion project (combatting misinformation) could be launched in July.
Thanks Brett. It has been a passion of mine for quite a few years. Keep an eye out. I’m hoping we can launch end July. https://t.co/VF4UL4jJ0L
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) June 26, 2021
During her sabbatical, Van Damme also made it no secret that she believes certain individuals in the DA were using her illness to sideline her and claimed she was incapable of carrying out her duties due to the stressful nature of her job. She has strongly denied this claim.
