The African National Congress (ANC) says Friday’s Constitutional Court decision on floor-crossing clears the way for it to take control of the city of Cape Town.
The ruling was an ”excellent outcome”, ANC member of the unicity’s executive committee Saleem Mowzer said in reaction.
”The ANC was prepared and we knew we were right,” he said. There was a crisis in the DA, which had resulted in a lack of accountability as far as good governance went.
”We are confident we will have the necessary 24 councillors so the ANC and the NNP can become the governing parties of Cape Town,” he said.
The DA currently holds the unicity with a majority of 107 of the 200 councillors.
However 70 of those 107 sets are held by former NNP members, and it is expected a number of them will formally rejoin their party, which has a cooperation agreement with the ANC. The ANC has 77 seats in the city.
Meanwhile, United Democratic Movement leader Bantu Holomisa said he welcomed the judgement allowing local councillors — but not MPs and MPLs — to cross the floor without losing their seats.
”To us it is a victory for democracy, it is a victory for the voters and it is a victory of reason over madness,” Holomisa said.
He said the judgement ”unmasked political thuggery” on the part of the New National Party, the Democratic Party and the African National Congress.
”Above all it is a moral victory. We therefore thank the 11 wise men and women of the Constitutional Court,” Holomisa said.
The Pan Africanist Congress on Friday welcomed the
ruling.
The PAC, the Inkatha Freedom Party and African Christian Democratic Party, joined the United Democratic Movement in its constitutional court challenge of the defection legislation.
PAC Chief Whip Patricia de Lille said: ”We welcome the
constitutional court judgement. We were convinced that the system was flawed for national and provincial government.” – Sapa