THOHOYANDOU – “The truth surrounding the split of the former Democratic Alliance chairperson in the Thulamela Municipality, Levy Mathivha, to form his own political party is based on differences with the leadership,” DA member of Provincial Legislature Timothy Maanda reported.

Maanda said this when refuting the allegation that Mr Mathivha resigned from the Democratic Alliance due to internal conflict amongst the members of the Democratic Alliance. He also denied the allegation that there are party agents who did not receive their payments during the 2004 election.

Mathivha said the DA failed to pay the party agents in the previous election and the majority of those unpaid party agents were his followers. “I have reported everything to the Limpopo office of DA, but they are turning down my complaints. There is nothing I can do and that is why I decided to split and form a new party, called VENDA, based in the former Venda,” Mathivha said. According to Mathivha, the complete name is Value, Education, Nationalism, Democracy and Africanism (VENDA).

According to Mathivha, the new party will promote its political activities in national, provincial and in local government elections in the Republic of South Africa. “This new organization needs to unite with headmen and chiefs because they are the backbone of this democracy,” he said.

“We are here to improve the living conditions of all citizen of South Africa, to eradicate poverty and promote education in this country. The party is here to promote capacity building through projects, programmes, campaigns, education and training,” he said.