Former DA Member of Parliament Nomsa Marchesi and Mangaung Ward 47 councillor Mokgadi Kganakga have now joined the newcomers, Rise Msanzi, as both provincial coordinator and convenor. Kganakga and Marchesi said there has been a void that has been left empty for far too long. They said they have both left the DA citing a lack of groundsman work and the seriousness of dealing with pertinent matters affecting residents who are often left angry and frustrated by the lack of service delivery by different spheres of government.

Both women told OFM News in an exclusive interview that, looking ahead at the following year's national and local government elections, more needs to be done to engage 20 million South Africans who did not vote during the previous elections in November 2021. 

Former DA MP Nomsa Marchesi and former DA Mangaung Ward 47 Councillor Mokgadi Kganakga have joined the political newcomers in the Free State, Rise Mzansi. Photo: Lucky Nkuyane

Kgakanakga said there seems to be a loss of appetite to deal sharply with anomalies across government spheres and this often leads to a lack of service delivery to communities in the province. 

“I realised there is no political will to change Mangaung and there is no administrative will to change Mangaung. Knowing what I know I realised I need to ask myself what am I doing in that space, and how best can I serve my community. In the space that I was operating in, I felt like I couldn’t represent my community to the best of my ability because the people who have to implement, do not want to implement. So I just decided to move on and allow my community to get someone fresh, somebody vibrant and somebody that will be able to fight further with them,” she said. 

Mokgadi joined the Blue Army in 2014, and two years later in 2016 was enlisted on the party’s Proportional Councillor list. In 2019 she contested the by-election and won ward 47, the largest and most contested ward in Mangaung. A few years later, in November 2021, during the local government election, the DA again secured victory and won the ward with marginal votes after 2 000 people voted for Kganakga. 

Marchesi, who served as DA Member of Parliament in the National Assembly until her recent resignation, was first elected as an MP in 2014 after being introduced to the DA in 2013. She left the DA because she felt like she was peripheral and was not participating in a way that could bring change. 

"I felt like my capabilities and my potential, which I felt needed to be utilised within the DA, were not. So that was a bit frustrating for me. Now in Rise, I have an opportunity to build from the ground on a solid foundation. We are organising and mobilising,” she said. 

In her resignation, Marchesi wrote on Facebook: “After long reflection, consultation, and my unwavering commitment to the principles of freedom, social justice and equality, I have announced my resignation from the DA and Parliament, effective immediately. 

“For nearly ten years I have served as a dedicated MP in the NA and a member of the DA, contributing to various portfolios including Education, both Basic and Higher Education, Women and recently as an additional member of the Police, and as a Whip. 

“As an activist who believes in justice and economic empowerment, especially for women, I joined the DA a decade ago with a firm belief that it could change the direction of South Africa and bring the necessary reforms. Over time, I have seen its inability to bridge the trust deficit between the party and the majority of South Africans and most importantly, the loss of ability to effectively represent the diverse concerns of all communities across our beloved nation”. 

The resignation of Kganakga means that a by-election to determine which political party will win the Ward 47 will be held. 

OFM News