Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA has lost yet another high-profile leader, after its leader in the eThekwini Council, Nicole Graham, on Monday announced that she will be resigning from her roles as leader in council and eThekwini councillor.
Graham confirmed to News24 her resignation as eThekwini caucus leader, saying it would be effective from the end of June, while her departure from the eThekwini council would be effective from the end of July.
She said:
“Following on from this, I intend to resign from the eThekwini council entirely by the end of July 2022,” said Graham’s statement.
She, however, vowed to remain “a committed, proud member of the DA” as she had been since 2007.
Her resignation comes just three months after the DA lost another high-profile leader in the province, as Mbali Ntuli resigned from the DA and as a member of the legislature in KwaZulu-Natal.
‘Change is good’: Mbali Ntuli resigns from DA and KwaZulu-Natal legislature
Graham cited being accepted to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Leadership and Enterprise at the University of Sydney as the reason for her resignation.
“The MBA is a full-time, 18-month programme that commences in August 2022. This is an incredible personal opportunity for me. The University of Sydney is the oldest university in Australia and is an incredibly prestigious institution. I have also been awarded the University’s MBA Director’s Scholarship.”
Graham’s statement continued:
She said the decision had been a “difficult and complex” one to make, and leaving the party was a lot harder than she had imagined it would be.
Graham joined the DA when she was 17 in 2007, and became a member of the eThekwini council in 2011, where she served for 11 years.
She said the highlight of her political journey was being elected to lead the DA eThekwini team on two occasions.
“This has made me a member of the municipality’s executive committee since 2018 – a role that I have cherished and embraced.”
Thanking the DA, Graham said the faith, love, and support that the party had shown her had been the greatest honour of her life.
“Politicians can quickly lose sight of what it is we actually are elected to do: represent and fight for ordinary people. You have kept me accountable, focused, and fighting for what matters. I thank you all sincerely and trust that the team will continue that work,” said Graham.
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