- Phumzile van Damme has clarified that she resigned from Parliament but not the DA.
- There appeared to be confusion about this in the DA.
- Van Damme clarified the matter on Twitter.
Former DA MP Phumzile van Damme has denied ever resigning from the party she represented in the national legislature.
READ | Phumzile van Damme ditches the DA in Parliament
This comes more than 12 hours after the party issued a statement by its national spokesperson Siviwe Gwarube, saying "the DA has received and accepted the resignation of Phumzile van Damme as a Member of Parliament and from the party".
Gwarube continued: "We extend our best wishes to Phumzile and thank her for her extraordinary service to the DA in Parliament and by extension, the country."
This followed Van Damme's resignation on Thursday night.
Coincidentally, today marks exactly seven years since being elected an MP. What a journey. What an honour. I learned. I grew. I laughed. I cried. I kicked ass. I took names. I made people angry. I made people happy. Enkosi, it was an honour to represent you in @ParliamentofRSA pic.twitter.com/52PfZ0VwjR
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) May 21, 2021
Van Damme, who has refused to grant interviews, tweeted on Friday morning: "Just a point of correction. I resigned as an MP. I remain a member of the DA."
Er. Read my statement again. As for the DA statement, I don’t know. In my letter to party leadership I made no indication of terminating my membership, so ?????? https://t.co/7ccWtdn5lN
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) May 21, 2021
Just a point of correction. I resigned as an MP. I remain a member of the DA.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) May 21, 2021
In the statement on her resignation, she said she left because she wanted to escape a certain "clique of individuals".
Van Damme had a strained relationship with top DA leaders in Parliament, including party leader John Steenhuisen, who put her on sabbatical for her health earlier this year without consulting her, and the party's chief whip Natasha Mazzone.
Van Damme was apparently unhappy about being relieved of her duties as the party's spokesperson on communications at that time.
And for those angry because I’m not “spilling beans.” First of all my life is not a soap opera &. Secondly, I am not bitter, I gave 7 years of my life as an MP and I will not let that end on a sour note. I did my job & I did it well. I won’t let that become a bad memory.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) May 21, 2021
It is also understood that Van Damme and chair of the DA's federal council Helen Zille didn't see eye to eye.
One of Van Damme's last acts as an MP was to get Facebook executives to agree to appear before Parliament.
READ MORE | Facebook is coming to Parliament, DA says
The social media giant, however, did a complete about-turn a few days later.
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