Chiara Carter
Veteran New National Party politician Peter Marais is talking to senior African National Congress leaders about his future in their party.
Marais is one of a group of the NNP’s most senior Western Cape politicians who are considering jumping ship for the ANC.
Marais’s office declined to comment, but according to ANC sources he has been approached by the office of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki and the ANC hopes to woo him into joining it within the next month.
The ANC is also hoping to win over veteran politician Patrick McKenzie, who expressed unhappiness at being placed 12th on the NNP’s candidate list in the region. He said he wanted to be part of the future upliftment of his people, “whatever party will provide that”.
Should Marais defect, he is likely to be joined by Western Cape MEC for Housing Cecil Herandien, MPL Anwar Ismail, and the NNP’s number 16 candidate for the National Assembly, Pierre-Jeanne Gerber.
There has been speculation that Marais will want the ANC to guarantee him the chance of becoming premier if the party wins the region. However, sources close to the ANC initiative denied this.
If the ANC does win Marais, who is hugely popular on the Cape Flats, this would have a serious impact upon the NNP’s chances of holding on to power.
At a political rally this week, Marais spelt out his commitment: “No party. No policy. No leader will prevent me from ensuring that coloureds also become part of an economic deal which will save them from poverty.
“If I am judged by history, it must be because I did not break the trust that coloured people on the Cape Flats placed in me.”
Tensions within the NNP leadership were highlighted recently when Marais walked out of a caucus meeting after clashing with MEC for Safety and Security Mark Wiley – apparently because Wiley repeatedly interrupted Marais.
As he left, Marais said he was not prepared to tolerate such behaviour from a junior, and did not want to belong to a party that did allow this conduct.