The Democratic Alliance (DA) has denied that there are factions within the party. This follows a newspaper report on an interview with DA leader Mmusi Maimane in which it is said he referred to two factions within the party.
The Business Day article said one faction wanted liberal roots in the DA while the other is calling for greater diversity. DA spokesperson Solly Malatsi says that this is not factionalism but rather contestation on the best way forward for the party.
“I think what is clearly visible is that there is robust contestation of ideas regarding the vision for the organisation going forward along certain political ideologies and views and that unfortunately gets characterised into factionalism. Factionalism refers to a grouping or separate groupings along different visions and ideas particularly an ideology with the pursuit of a different outcome in a political environment,” says Malatsi.
