The year 2019 was a defining one for the DA's former leader Mmusi Maimane.

Be it resigning from both his positions as MP and party leader or celebrating his marriage, Maimane had Mzansi talking.

Here are six highlights from Maimane's 2019.

Speech of a lifetime

During the general elections, Maimane delivered a rousing speech with a clear message centred on what he called President Cyril Ramaphosa’s "complicity."

The “speech of a lifetime” also included the scandals of former president Jacob Zuma's government, the challenge to change and the DA's promise to its voters.

Married for 14 years

In August, Maimane showed the nation he was more than just a politician when he celebrated his 14th wedding anniversary with his wife, Natalie.

“Today, been married to this great woman for 14 years,” Maimaine wrote on his Instagram account. “She has remained such a rock for our family, an incredible mother to our children and an amazing wife to me. Thank you, Rethabile Natalie, for dreaming and building a great SA together. KA Lerato.”

Fighting to clear his name 

In October, Maimane was set to fight to clear his reputation after allegations about a luxury car reportedly donated by former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste. There were also questions over the declaration of a R4m house in Cape Town in a parliamentary register, despite the home never belonging to him.

In an interview on eNCA, Maimame dismissed both claims, saying he was innocent and the “DA needs to decide whether that's a fight it wants or not”.

He was cleared of any 'financial wrongdoing' by the party's finance committee.

Resigning from the DA 

In October, Maimane shocked South Africans when he announced he was resigning from the party as the leader and as an MP.

In his resignation speech, he bashed the DA, saying it was not the “vehicle best suited to take forward the vision of building one South Africa for all.”

Starting his own party

Maimane said his new venture would be a “new vehicle for change”, adding that it is something that would “come back to the people” and “not just another party”.

TimesLIVE reported that Maimane said the movement will be “not only political” but also involve civil society and non-government organisations (NGOs).

Joining forces with Herman Mashaba

He joined forces with former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba at the launch of “The People’s Dialogue”.

According to Maimane, the dialogue was created to “charter a way forward where future generations can be served by individuals who place citizens first”.