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POLOTIKI: Lindiwe Mazibuko on a new mission to find younger, ethical politicians

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In this week's Polotiki we sit down with former DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko.

While she is not plotting a return to mainstream politics, she is on a political mission of sorts – to find younger, ethical politicians.

Mazibuko has co-founded the Apolitical Academy, which will put 25 candidates from across southern Africa through the paces of leadership and prepare them for the "messy" world of politics.

"It is a non-partisan programme that will do leadership development, public purpose, ethics, values and interactions between young people and their elders in politics. It's a programme designed for young people and women, in particular, who have always wanted to run for office, who have always wanted to serve in government, but hadn't figured out how to make those entry points," Mazibuko told News24.

Mazibuko also shared her view on some of the crises facing the DA, the party she still votes for.

On the DA VS De Lille saga

While Mazibuko did not get into the merits of the case, she said she understood why embattled Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille was fighting in court to "protect her legacy".

De Lille has dragged the DA to court for ousting her from the party.

"I find it difficult to believe that some of it is not about gender and race... [that] part of it is not about this notion that a woman must know her place. And that makes me angry, it makes me sad, it's a great disappointment," Mazibuko said.

Love for the EFF

"I love the EFF style of politics, I wish it had more substance under the hood. It's like a Ferrari, but the engine is like a Golf engine," she said.

"What I love is how they are making education fashionable again. I love how their leadership is unapologetically young. I worry about the habits that may have been formed under the ANC that may have carried over, but on the whole they are an incredibly exciting development and look, the DA would not be in government in municipalities without the EFF. It's an exciting development for politics.

"I just look forward to a time its policies become more fleshed out," she added.

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