Former DA shadow communications minister Phumzile Van Damme declined a social media user's request that she join the ANC and says she will not be joining any political party after terminating her membership with the official opposition.

Van Damme announced her decision to leave the party to work on her misinformation project, which requires her to be non-partisan. She said on Saturday the project is at an advanced stage and will be rolled out during the elections season.

“I have decided to terminate my DA membership. The misinformation monitoring and combating project we will be rolling out during election season requires that I be non-partisan. Our plans are at an advanced stage. SA first — always has been,” she tweeted.

On Sunday, Van Damme said she would keep a watchful eye on politicians and the information they spread during election time. 

A social media user asked Van Damme to consider joining the ANC to hold its leaders to account, but she remained steadfast.

Attempts by SowetanLIVE's sister publication TimesLIVE to get further comment from Van Damme on her comments were unsuccessful at the time of publishing this story. Any comment will be included once received.

Last year, Van Damme slammed suggestions she would “soon sing the EFF tune”, saying she would “rather die” than join the party.

Van Damme issued a statement in June announcing her decision to quit as an MP. She said her decision was not linked to a perception that the DA had morphed into a “racist party” of white conservatives.

“I leave on my own terms, having made my own decision. Nonetheless, in a climate of rumours and the need to create heroes and villains, my resignation as an MP is not because the DA is a so-called ‘racist party’ but because of a clique of individuals. And in order not to make the good women and men still under the DA suffer, I will not delve further on this,” she said.