JOHANNESBURG (AP) — The effort by South Africa's biggest opposition party to appeal to black voters is now in tatters following the resignation of its first black leader and other top officials.

The departures highlight deep racial divisions that remain in the country a quarter-century after the end of the harsh segregation system of apartheid.

Mmusi Maimane quit the Democratic Alliance on Thursday after stepping down as party leader the day before, leaving many South Africans to predict that black supporters would flee as well.

The resignations came days after the party return of Helen Zille, a divisive figure who once famously tweeted that colonialism wasn't all bad.

One analyst wonders whether South Africa will ever have a political party to "pull all our races together."