The can of worms is unsealed and on Wednesday, South Africans found out the truth behind Phumzile van Damme’s exit from the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Phumzile van Damme drops receipts on the DA
The party’s former communications shadow minister took to Twitter to respond to leader John Steenhuisen’s version of events that led to her resignation.
However, according to Van Damme, the real reason behind her decision to disband from the party she once fought tooth and nail for, was linked to her dealings with Facebook.
In a series of ‘ranty’ tweets, Van Damme revealed that she tendered her resignation after DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone allegedly coaxed her into ‘laying off’ the Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media platform.
Earlier in February, the DA had summoned Facebook to Parliament over its role “in tackling harmful misinformation.”
In a statement penned by Van Damme at the time, the party wrote:
“The spread of Covid-related misinformation primarily through Facebook and WhatsApp – a company owned by Facebook – highlights the need for Parliament to take an active role in curbing misinformation.
“However, the aim of questioning Facebook should be to ensure that the interests of the people of South Africa are protected and not an attempt to exert control or limit freedom of expression.”
Three months after this statement was released, Van Damme walked away from her position as Communications Shadow Minister but, at the time, she was still an active member of the party.
However, months later, the former DA member has resurfaced with screenshots of a text exchange between her and Mazzone, where the Chief Whip was seen categorically blocking Van Damme from going after Facebook due to ongoing relationships with the social media platform behind the scenes.
“There are also many downstream firms that are dependent on Facebook,” Mazzone wrote in one response.
In her tweets, Van Damme’s vitriol was directed towards Steenhuisen who — she warned — has a lot more skeletons hidden in the closet that she is privy to.
I am SO glad my name is no longer associated with the joke the DA has become under your leadership. YOU are the country's laughingstock & in the DA. I was not going to engage in war but you just couldn't keep your trap shut could you @jsteenhuisen? Mention my name again. I beg.
— Phumzile Van Damme (@zilevandamme) August 25, 2021
The DA had not responded to Van Damme’s claims at the time this article was published.