By many accounts she was a talented young politician with a bright future ahead of her. Within just five years of joining the Democratic Alliance she was elected to serve in Parliament, tackling high-profile issues including exposing corruption and political interference at the SABC.
Phumzile Van Damme was regarded by many political analysts as one of the party’s brightest stars so her resignation as an MP late last month was seen as a loss to the South African political landscape.
The 37-year-old, who previously served in the high-profile role of national spokesperson for the party, announced her resignation on Twitter.