‘People come and go’: Zille says DA ‘black leaders exodus’ no big deal

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) stalwart Helen Zille has dismissed the loss of another black party leader as a question of “people come and go”, but experts disagreed, saying the loss will have a significant effect on the party’s standing.

Thousands of votes will be lost to the party, political analysts have said.

Political analyst Prof Mcebisi Ndletyana said the DA appeared to have given up on black votes or winning the national election, hence it allowed the continuous haemorrhaging of its black leadership.

Ndletyana said the resignation of the DA’s Gauteng MPL Makashule Gana is a continuation of a trend where senior black leaders abandon the DA.

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Another analyst Dr Levy Ndou said it was clear Gana has left for a political reason.

“All DA leaders who quit – from Lindiwe Mazibuko, to Patricia de Lille, Herman Mashaba, Mmusi Maimane, Phumzile van Damme, Mbali Ntuli and Midvaal mayor Bongani Baloyi – left for political reasons,” Ndou said.

Gana’s decision to quit the party he had served for over 20 years was seemingly shrugged off by Zille, the federal council chair, who showed frustration when asked what she thought about it.

“People come and go to political parties,” she said as she slammed down the phone.

She ignored her ringing phone when called again.

Gana told The Citizen he had quit the party “to interact with other South Africans to create a new political alternative”.

He would join other emerging generation leaders and activists committed to mobilising to return power to the people.

The last few years had seen the party losing a large cream of its black leaders who were disillusioned with the party, seen by many as regressing by focusing on attracting white voters while ditching its black support.

READ MORE: Bongani Baloyi ‘will regret his move’ to join ActionSA, says Zille

In a statement titled “I am leaving the DA but not leaving politics”, Gana put out his position.

“I leave the DA with a clear conscience, no regrets and a cemented sense of purpose and calling to serve the country.”

He told The Citizen it was a decision that he had been contemplating for some time.

“To me the DA has not been expanding fast enough,” Gana said.

He stressed he wouldn’t join any political party as yet but would be part of a political initiative that would contest the 2024 election.