Mazzone demoted, Siviwe Gwarube appointed new DA chief whip

Natasha Mazzone, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) chief whip in Parliament has been demoted to the backbenches.

DA national spokesperson, Siviwe Gwarube, has been appointed the new chief whip of the party.

DA leader John Steenhuisen announced the change to his caucus at a DA federal executive meeting on Thursday morning.

“Siviwe will continue with our work of being a strong opposition – holding the executive accountable while offering workable solutions to address SA’s most pressing challenges.”

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Mazzone will now represent the party in the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, with a specific focus on overhauling the oversight model of the state security apparatus.

She will also serve as the national security advisor to Steenhuisen.

The DA has also appointed Noko Masipa as the spokesperson for agriculture, land reform and rural development, while Dianne Kohler-Barnard is the party’s new spokesperson for communications.

Marina Van Zyl, the DA’s newest MP, is an additional member of the basic education committee while MP Solly Malatsi will reprise his role of national spokesperson alongside Cilliers Brink.

Meanwhile, DA member Patricia Kopane on Monday announced her resignation from the party – shortly before joining ActionSA.

Kopane is the latest in a string of black leaders to have left the DA for ActionSA.

Kopane was the party’s Free State leader between 2012 and 2020, and also a Member of Parliament (MP).

After 19 years with the party, Kopane said she no longer felt like she belongs in the DA anymore.

“The truth is that I no longer believe that the DA is the political vehicle that I joined in 2003. I do not feel that I belong in the DA or that I have space to make political contributions in my country.

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