ANGELA QUINTAL, Cape Town | Tuesday
NEW National Party (NNP) rank-and-file in the Western Cape on Monday rallied around their embattled unicity mayor Peter Marais, using a provincial congress platform to vent their frustrations about their alliance partner, the Democratic Party (DP).
The NNP, DP and Federal Alliance merged to form the Democratic Alliance (DA) in June last year. The DA won the local government elections in Cape Town and 26 other municipalities countrywide.
However, NNP delegates stopped short of nominating Marais as provincial party leader, paving the way for Premier Gerald Morkel to be re-elected unopposed for a fourth one-year term.
Marais will serve as one of three deputy provincial leaders along with NNP MP Martha Olckers and Local Government MEC Pierre Uys.
Marais is currently on enforced leave as unicity mayor pending an investigation into his actions during Cape Town’s street-naming controversy.
His supporters believe he is a victim of a DP bid to take control of the unicity.
On Monday, supporters tried to table a motion which they hoped would result in his return to work by Tuesday.
Until last Friday, Marais faced an investigation by retired Judge Edwin King into his role in the street-naming saga.
Former judge Willem Heath, asked to investigate by Uys had earlier found that Marais had misinformed the public” and lied to DA leader Tony Leon about the amount of support for the initiative.
However, a ruling of the High Court in a separate matter on Friday, effectively invalidated Uys’ decision to appoint the Heath Commission.
Uys immediately revoked King’s appointment and referred the question of possible action against Marais, to unicity Speaker, Danny de la Cruz.
Tygerberg councillor Paul Kleinschmidt on Monday insisted congress should vote on his motion that Marais should return to his job immediately.
Attempts by NNP national leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk’s and Uys to defuse the situation failed.
It was only when Marais himself stepped in and asked Kleinschmidt ”as a brother to withdraw the motion” that this was done.
Marais told cheering delegates he would co-operate with De La Cruz to clear his name. Marais clearly had the most vocal support from the 172 congress delegates representing 10 regions in the Western Cape.
Coloured NNP members used question time to expresses their anger about the DP, effectively accusing that party of racism and trying to dominate the alliance.
They said the unity between coloured and white NNP members had been eroded in the DA.
They also complained that few coloured people held leadership positions in the DA.
Kleinschmidt said NNP members in the unicity were ”gatvol” (fed up).
Van Schalkwyk had harsh words for members, saying that the NNP was in the majority in the Western Cape.
”You sound like a weak minority. Start acting like a majority,” he told delegates.
Van Schalkwyk also criticised the DP, saying a minority should never be so arrogant as to think they are in the majority”.
He also reminded his audience that of the nine provincial party congresses, it was the Western Cape had instructed him to seek an alliance with the DP.
Both Van Schalkwyk and Morkel repeated that the DA was the only vehicle that could effectively challenge the African National Congress (ANC).
Referring to what he said was chaos in the ANC, van Schalkwyk warned that instead of capitalising on this the DA was spending too much time on internal disputes.
In his speech, Morkel said that people who thought the DA was crumbling ”should think again”.
”There are more factors that unite us than divide us.”
He said once the DA’s constitution and membership audit was completed, ”tensions will diminish”.
Morkel also castigated members for their lack of discipline.
”I am determined that we will bring discipline back to the NNP and also the DA.”
Meanwhile, DP provincial leader Hennie Bester — who stands accused of agitating within the DA for Marais’ removal — failed to make an appearance at Monday’s meeting.
A message read out on his behalf was greeted with lukewarm applause.
NNP delegates on Monday agreed to constitutional amendments that will suspend further party congresses until the next general election in 2004, which the DA will contest at both provincial and national level.
The amendments, among other things, allow for the NNP head council, to assume all powers of congress, including the election of office-bearers.
This effectively means that Monday’s congress was the NNP’s last in the province, unless its head council calls a special congress.
According to the Constitution the DP, NNP and FA must remain registered as separate parties at national and provincial level until the 2004 general election, or until legislation determines otherwise. – Sapa