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Over the weekend, DA leader John Steenhuisen announced that Van Damme would be taking a year off to take care of his health.
DA MP Phumzile Van Damme arrives on the red carpet outside Parliament for the 2020 State of the Nation Address. Image: Kayleen Morgan / EWN
JOHANNESBURG – Democratic Alliance (DA) whip boss Natasha Mazzone said it was unfortunate that the good intention of giving MP Phumzile van Damme time off while battling a chronic illness had turned unpleasant.
Over the weekend, DA leader John Steenhuisen announced that Van Damme would be taking a year off to take care of his health.
ALSO READ: DA insists Van Damme’s gap year is for his own good
Mazzone said the intention was never to undermine Van Damme and that the party was just trying to show kindness while caring for a colleague.
“If after these three months you feel that you are not well and you feel much better, we will reassess the situation. But it was never intended to be anything more than a caring and gracious way of reaching out to a colleague suffering from a debilitating illness. “
However, Van Damme, who remains a member of Parliament, appears to have been offended by what he considers “a forced sabbatical”.
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