Former Midvaal mayor Bongani Baloyi has quit the DA after 14 years. 

On Monday morning Baloyi announced he was leaving the DA but has not shared the reasons, except to say it was a decision he took himself.

“My journey with the @Our_DA ends today. It has been an amazing 14 years which I will always be proud of and I will remain grateful to the DA for their support and opportunities afforded to me. I leave out of my own agency. Not because I am being purged or any nonsense like that,” the 34-year-old announced on Twitter on Monday.

Baloyi’s announcement leaves an egg on the DA’s face after the opposition party announced him as its Gauteng premier candidate for 2024. 

It is unclear what Baloyi will do, but his tweets raised suspicions that he may join new kids on the block ActionSA.

“I leave on my time and terms, with a clean track record in government and the party. Now it’s time for me to focus on exciting opportunities before me. Good luck to the friends, colleagues and leadership of @Our_DA. We will meet somewhere. #BonganiBaloyiLeavesDA,” he said.

Baloyi become the youngest mayor when he took the reins at Midvaal in 2013 and went on to make it one of the most successfully run municipalities in country. 

Under his stewardship, which ended after the November 1 local government elections, Midvaal municipality received two clean audits and was ranked the top performing municipality.

According to the DA website, Baloyi joined the party in 2005 where he has over the years served as a member of the Vaal region executive committee, the provincial executive committee and as a federal council member.

The website says he has participated in the DA Young Leaders Programme, and previously served as chairperson of the Midvaal Youth Development Forum Board.

The DA has been bleeding black leaders following the departure of former MP Phumzile Van Damme in June. Other black leaders who have left the party include former leader Mmusi Maimane, former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba who went on to form ActionSA, Tshwane councillor Abel Tau, Johannesburg councillor Funzi Ngobeni and former Gauteng leader John Moodey. 

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