Mbali Ntuli might stand as an independent candidate – analyst

The departure of former Democratic Alliance (DA) KwaZulu-Natal legislature member Mbali Ntuli from the party she grew up in might see her stand as an independent candidate ahead of the 2024 general elections.

According to University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) political analyst Professor Bheki Mngomezulu, the DA did a disservice to itself at the 2020 federal congress when it opted for John Steenhuisen as the leader instead of Ntuli.

Ntuli contested against Steenhuisen on a unity card, explaining that the DA needed a federal leader who would be able to bring people together from different backgrounds to build a South Africa that works.

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The outspoken KwaZulu-Natal politician announced her resignation from the DA last week, joining the growing list of black talent that dumped the second biggest political party.

“The DA shot itself in the foot in 2020. Ntuli was the better candidate than Steenhuisen. She had practically grown up in the party in which she spent 14 years – from being its youth leader and moving on to occupy senior positions in KwaZulu-Natal.

“There are problems in the DA and leaders choose to ignore them, to the detriment of the party. We only hear about the grievances only after prominent leaders resign, they keep their anger bottled up and explode once they are at the exit door,” Mngomezulu said.

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Ntuli, for her part, said she planned to focus on being a community leader and doesn’t plan on joining any political party.

She has dismissed speculations that she was headed to ActionSA, whose leader Herman Mashaba recently embarked on a recruitment drive across the country, luring more members of the DA.

The firebrand politician, said Mngomezulu, could opt to become an independent candidate, having indicated that she would head back to doing community work.

“Rooted in communities, it is possible for her to contest independently without the burden of party politics. Look at [leader of OneSA] Mmusi Maimane, he is attracting young leaders who want to be independents.

“Ntuli is a strong politician, she is eloquent and good in what she does. Also, she is a woman and she is black.”

Mngomezulu remarked that Mashaba seemed to have no yardstick on the type of leaders he wanted for his party, citing the expulsion of former parliamentarian Makhosi Khoza this week.

“He started off well, but now he is coopting everyone into ActionSA. Some of the leaders joining his party were very problematic in their previous roles at other parties. Mashaba could be creating creating huge problems for him.”

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