GOUDINI | Sunday
A MEETING of more than 1 000 Democratic Alliance supporters in a packed hall at the Goudini Spa, near Worcester, on Saturday, unanimously supported a motion calling for the NNP federal council’s recent decision to pull out of the DA to be rescinded.
The delegates — largely from the New National Party component of the DA — gave Western Cape premier Gerald Morkel, who is also the NNP and DA leader in the province, a standing ovation after he addressed them.
Morkel and the NNP’s national leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk are at loggerheads over the federal council’s decision eight days ago that the party should withdraw from the DA and instead seek closer cooperation with the African National Congress.
Delegates — who included mayors, local councillors from all over the province, and as a number of MPs and MPLs — got up one after the other to pledge their support for Morkel, and their opposition to the federal council decision.
The motion, read out by the mayor of George, Marius Swart, said the meeting: — rejected the federal council decision to leave the DA and the change the NNP’s name;
— expressed its full support for Morkel and his ministers, who had stood by him;
— called on the NNP to stop its talks with the ANC immediately; and
— called on the NNP to urgently convene a special congress to discuss the points in the motion.
The acceptance of the motion was greeted by a standing ovation.
Morkel, addressing the gathering to several rounds of applause, said he had told former president and NP leader FW de Klerk in a telephone call on Friday, that the Western Cape electorate had given the DA a mandate to rule the province and the Cape Town unicity.
Sixty percent had voted for the party, and thus against the ANC.
“We are on the right road. We are the only party in the ANC’s way,” he said to thunderous applause.
In conclusion, he told the audience: “You can trust me.”
All Morkel’s provincial cabinet members were present, except David Malatsi, who is overseas, Leon Markovitz, who is ill, and transport MEC Piet Meyer.
Other dignitaries present included former NP Cape Province administrator Kobus Meiring, former NP deputy minister Lampie Fick, and the leader of the Federal Alliance, Dr Kraai van Niekerk, whose party is also a constituent of the DA.
All three were among those delivering short speeches.
The hall was bedecked with DA banners stating “DP + NNP = DA.”
Before Morkel arrived, shortly after 11am, the audience chanted rhythmically “we want Morkel.”
The meeting was organised by a number of DA southern Cape mayors.
But NNP Western Cape representative Johan Gelderblom scoffed at the motion and called the meeting a Democratic Party-driven side-show aimed at undermining the federal council’s decision and destabilising the party.
“The meeting’s composition, the way it was called, and the manner in which it was conducted showed clearly that it can not be taken seriously at all,” Gelderblom said.
“To describe this as a ‘consultative process’ when it brings together an odd assortment of individuals from various places with their own agendas, is far-fetched to say the least.”
He said the motion passed at the meeting carried no weight and would not have any “effect at all on us or the serious political discussions currently underway.” – Sapa
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