Derek Fleming
THE National Party is caught up in a power struggle between factions led by Constitutional Development Minister Roelf Meyer and his rival, Environment and Tourism Minister Dawie de Villiers. The two men are gearing up to do battle for political turf and it is expected the contest will come to a head at the federal congress of the party later this month, according to senior NP sources.
The conflict between Meyer and De Villiers for the soul of the NP is embedded in a traditional set of tensions between the Transvaal and Cape regions of the party. De Villiers is staking out the Western Cape as his base and Meyer is using Johannesburg as his centre. However, there are no ideological differences between them.
The conflict at national level is playing itself out in Gauteng as each faction jockeys for support in the run- up to the federal congress which takes place from January 19 to 20 and is the highest decision-making body of the party. Meyer is currently in the weaker position but is trying to consolidate the six NP regions in Gauteng to close the gap between him and his rival, the sources say. His foundation wards in the city are Johannesburg central and Soweto which he is expanding at the expense of the surrounding wards, particularly Witwatersrand North headed by the party’s chief liaison officer, Martinus van Schalkwyk. The sources say Van Schalkwyk is firmly a De Villiers soldier. De Villiers as the Nat stalwart is firmly in control in Cape Town and in the NP federal council, which he has staffed entirely with his own loyalists. An additional strength is the backing of the party executive director, Fanus Schoeman.
Asked to comment, Schoeman told the WM&G that reports of tension between the two men were untrue. “I have worked with both of them and it is nothing further from the truth to say that there is tension between these people.” But the sources insist that MECs and ministers have become embroiled in the dispute. Deputy President FW de Klerk has avoided declaring his preference partly because he accepts Meyer as a protege and partly because he relies on De Villiers as his most trusted adviser. Mineral and Energy Affairs Minister Pik Botha will not be drawn to either side and remains head of the Gauteng NP structure, which is weak due to a lack of party funds. Other sources say a more serious conflict that will surface at the Nat’s federal congress relates to rank-and-file resentment at the way in which most of the executive of the party have been “nice” to the ANC.
The sources say all the current Nat ministers in the government of national unity are likely to take flak for being too cosy with the ANC and for not taking a hard line especially on ANC ministers who are seen as not doing their job well. Meyer is often blamed by the party faithful for the failings of the interim constitution in much the same way that Ramaphosa is blamed by the ANC old guard around Nelson Mandela. In the end it appears that both men’s fortunes are inextricably linked to their performance in government.
Sources say a resolution passed at the Gauteng congress of the NP late last year by the Sandton branch reflects criticism of Meyer’s failure to ensure sufficient devolution of police powers to the provinces.
The resolution says: “The Witwatersrand is the area of highest risk, where nearly 29 percent of all serious crime in the country takes place. Congress calls for the prioritisation of all efforts to achieve the immediate devolution of the necessary law enforcement powers to the provincial authorities …” Another controversial resolution, also passed by the Sandton branch, calls for the Labour Relations Act to be amended so that the powers of employers in industrial disputes be strengthened.
“Congress demands that the state apply the strict letter of the law against all illegal and unlawful strike and labour action.” Both resolutions indicate current NP ministers will be pushed at the forthcoming federal congress to take a harder opposition role in the GNU.