Mbali Ntuli has ditched the DA. In a three-page statement, the now-former member of the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature says the decision was not taken lightly but was necessary for her growth as a community leader.

Ntuli who has been part of the DA for 15 years concedes that she faced difficult and relentless challenges within the party.

She notes that some of this has played out in the public sphere while others were due to gossip which she adds the DA is not immune to. She further notes that she has been forthright about instances where the DA has erred in its treatment of its members and the negative culture that has fostered within the political party.

In 2020 Ntuli lost the leadership race to the John Steenhuisen. She had somewhat challenged the status quo. She has also been outspoken and has on occasions found herself at odds with the DA’s federal council chairperson Helen Zille.