The Democratic Party was rocked last night by another resignation as recriminations grew over the reasons behind the shock ”retirement” of co-leader Wynand Malan. Late yesterday Sandton councillor Meyer van Niekerk, who joined the Progressive Party three decades ago, followed Johannesburg city councillor Hans Strydom in walking out because of the DP’s refusal to ban members from belonging to the Broederbond.
It emerged yesterday that a long and allegedly ”stormy” debate over the Broederbond issue at a DP regional council meeting on Monday night preceded the resignations. A motion forbidding joint membership – proposed and seconded by Strydom and Van Niekerk – was defeated by more than 60 votes to 11 after a lengthy debate that lasted until 10.30pm. Malan argued that Bond membership did not conflict with his party leadership and, according to Strydom, said there were ”many other” members in the DP.
Malan told his colleagues that if he was forced to choose between DP and Broederbond membership, he would choose the latter, according to Strydom. He won the vote, then resigned his office two days later. DP information officer and MP for Johannesburg North Peter Soal yesterday said the debate had been long ”but civil and cool”. Strydom and Van Niekerk Wynand Malan believe the Broederbond issue had a direct bearing on the charismatic Randburg MP’s decision. Sources close to Malan yesterday categorically denied any such connection. They dismissed the claims as ”utter rubbish”, saying Malan had made his decision before Monday ‘s crucial annual general meeting of the DP’s Southern Transvaal Regional Council ”Wynand had made up his mind and Strydom wasn’t part of this thinking,” said one angry DP official.
Malan ‘s co-leaders, Zach de Beer and Denis Worrall, said they had ”no doubt whatsoever” that the personal reasons given for Malan’s resignation were genuine. But Van Niekerk told The Daily Mail he and Strydom had exhausted all possible channels within the DP to have Broederbond membership prohibited, and when Malan successfully defeated their motion on Monday night, they had been ”forced to resign as a matter of principles. He said he believed Malan announced his own resignation as a result of the debate. · ”At the meeting (before the Broederbond motion) he spoke very positively about the future, and I got the impression he was going for the leadership. Then came Hans’ motion.”
Strydom said he thought it ”naive” to view the debate and timing of Malan’s resignation ”in isolation. ”During his speech,” said Strydom, ”he looked very much like a man in the running for the leadership of the DP. Something very dramatic must have happened in the next 24 hours – it was a startling development.” Strydom said he believed Malan ”probably decided (after the debate) that it would be damaging to his image and the best tactic would be to contain the damage – to sideline himself now and wait for it to blow over, which it will. ”The reasons he gave (for resigning on Wednesday) somehow don’t all ring true. He’s a young guy for a politician, aggressive, a political animal with political ambition. That ‘s very difficult to reconcile with a man on the sidelines. I think we will hear more of him in time to come.”
However, sources close to Malan dismissed Strydom’s views as ”utter rubbish”. ”Who suddenly decides to leave having won a vote hands down?” said one. ”The Broederbond issue had nothing to do with the resignation. Strydom must be kicking himself for resigning.” The sources said it was well known that Malan had been walling for an opportunity to bow out of politics. Party sources concede that the combined effect of the Malan resignation and the ”broedertwis” within the DP is extremely damaging, but express the hope that the ructions will force the party to ”get to grips with reality”.
Malan’s resignations merely ”highlighted existing problems”, said one. ”Too many members think it’s business as usual, whereas the DP needs to address itself clearly to limited, finite goals. All of this might do the party good.”
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
