Gwen Ngwenya chooses tech career over a DA seat in Parliament

Glen Ngwenya, after weighing up her options, has chosen a future in the financial tech industry over the much sought-after seat of Parliament as a member of the official opposition.

The Democratic Alliance (DA), her former political party, has a lot to reflect on after its performance in the 2019 general elections.

DA to reflect on lacklustre poll performanceAfter an ambitious campaign, the party only managed 20.77% of the national votes, 1.46% less than what they achieved at the 2014 polls.

Related: Gwen Ngwenya quits as DA head of policy with explosive resignation letter

As speculation mounts over the future of their leader, Mmusi Maimane, Ngwenya looked ahead at opportunities away from the dirty game of politics.

The first time we heard about Gwen NgwenyaThe DA's former head of policy attracted attention in January when she publicly announced her resignation from the role.

As the head of the policy unit my initial reporting line was to the Federal Chairperson, subsequently it changed to the Federal Leader. The challenge is that meetings were outside of party structures, which meant that not all relevant information was brought to my attention.

I know of few parties in the world where the politician tasked with policy is not privy to the political thinking and decisions affecting policy. she wrote in her explosive resignation letter.

Soon afterwards, reports surfaced of infighting within the unit around disagreements concerning the party's stance on transformation policies and black empowerment.

Ngwenya quits politics for techIt seems, after all of that drama, no love has been lost between her and the party. Ngwenya took to Twitter once again, on Thursday, to reveal that she has decided to leave the DA to pursue a career in the private sector.

Related: Saray Khumalo becomes first black African woman to conquer Mount Everest

I have decided not to take up my seat in the 6th Parliament. Before policy dev I worked in fintech, and I'd like to work now on issues at the nexus of tech and public policy. There are great people who will be on those benches, and I wish the DA a successful term.

Gwen Ngwenya (@GwenNgwenya) May 16, 2019

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/gwen-ngwenya-tech-career-da-seat-...
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