Democratic Alliance MP and member of parliament’s committee of Communications and Digital Technologies Phumzile has resigned her position as member of parliament.
I have today tendered my resignation as a DA MP. Thank you so much, South Africa ❤️🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/3Z1N1rSJD5
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) May 20, 2021
Van Damme issued announced her resignation on Twitter, saying that she is leaving on her “own terms”, and the reason is “not because the DA is a so-called ‘racist party’ but because of a clique of individuals.”
Van Damme exits the DA
“During my seven years as the Shadow Minister of Communications, and a Parliamentary Whip, I had the pleasure of witnessing the fruits of my hard labour, when we took on the SABC, and turned the tide on it being a state broadcaster and set it on a path to be a public broadcaster,” Van Damme said.
“Going as far as travelling to London, I led the charge against Bell Pottinger’s sordid SA disinformation and state capture campaign,which eventually led to the fall of the decades old company.”
Most recently Van Damme spearheaded efforts on the Communications and Digital Technologies to bring Facebook to book about the spread of misinformation on its platform. Facebook initially agreed to meet with the committee but reversed its decision to do so yesterday.
“To be clear, I will not be joining another political party, nor will I be using my time to launch attacks on the DA… I leave on my own terms, having made my own decision,” Van Damme said.
“Nonetheless, in a climate of rumours and the need to create heroes and villains, 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.”