Former DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko has poured cold water over speculation that she is planning to join the ANC.

Mazibuko‚ who left parliament to study at Harvard University in 2014‚ joined top ANC leaders on Thursday evening for a gathering of academics and professionals in conversation with Cyril Ramaphosa at the IDC auditorium in Johannesburg.

She caused a stir online when she tweeted about the event: “Doing @MYANC things with my Thursday evening. Very warm welcomes all around. Thanks for the invitation‚ Razzmatazz.”

Mazibuko was spotted sitting next to and chatting to NEC member Ronald Lamola.

Twitter feeds were full of speculation about whether she was making a return to politics or was planning to join the ANC.

Mazibuko set the record straight with a follow up tweet a few hours later. “Twitter friends‚ please let us be mature in politics. The @MYANC invited me to an event with @CyrilRamaphosa and I was delighted to attend. “My fondness for our president is a matter of public record. This does not mean I support or wish to join the ANC.”

Speaking at a panel discussion in 2017 on the role of business in South Africa‚ Mazibuko made it clear that she supported then presidential hopeful Cyril Ramaphosa to win the ANC elective conference.

“Unlike Deputy President Ramaphosa‚ who I am supporting – it is not a life and death issue for Ramaphosa but it is for Jacob Zuma‚ if like Schabir Shaik before him‚ he lands up in court and is prosecuted‚” she explained.

Mazibuko went on to complete her Master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University.

In 2017 she had turned her attention to the global stage‚ having joined up with a non-partisan group‚ based in the UK‚ of public servants from other countries. They planned to set up a non-profit to grow the next generation of public leaders starting in Africa‚ moving to Latin America and to Europe.