The African National Congress and the New National Party announced moves to cement their co-operation pact on Saturday in apparent anticipation of them jointly taking control of a number of municipal councils.
The two parties had formed a joint consultative forum and intended holding a summit at leadership level this year, ANC chairman Mosiuoa Lekota told reporters at Johannesburg International Airport.
NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk, who also addressed the briefing, said the forum was a concrete step to give effect to the co-operation agreement the two parties struck in November last year.
The NNP and the ANC are likely to jointly take control in many town councils, including Cape Town, following the Constitutional Court’s ruling on defection legislation on Friday.
Local government councillors will — for a 15-day period from Tuesday –be allowed to defect to another party without losing their seats.
Lekota said the forum would serve as a platform for policy dialogue between the two parties and discussions on legislative proposals to be put forward by the government.
The forum would also deal at short notice with what Lekota described as ”flash points” cropping up from time to time. Lekota and Van Schalkwyk would lead the body, and each party had set up a team of 20 people to drive the consultation process.
Other ANC members of the forum would be Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula, Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya, Justice Minister Penuell Maduna and the Minister in the Presidency Essop Pahad.
Former ANC chief whip Tony Yengeni, who quit his post after he was charged with fraud and corruption, would also serve on the ANC team.
Queried about this, Lekota said Yengeni was a long-standing member of the ANC, and continued to serve in the party’s national executive committee (NEC).
”It was the view of the NEC that he has a major contribution to make. We know he is facing legal proceedings, but until that has taken its course he continues to serve in the ranks of the movement.”
Senior NNP members on the body included Gauteng leader Johan Kilian, North West leader Amie Venter, executive director Renier Schoeman, Free State leader Inus Aucamp and Northern Cape leader PW Saaiman.
Lekota said the leadership summit would be held between the NEC of the ANC and the NNP federal executive prior to their respective party congresses.
”The summit will give further content to the agreement and the framework through which the two parties wish to deliver on their joint objective.”
Details such as the allocation of positions would probably also be discussed at this meeting, Lekota said.
Van Schalkwyk said the two parties aimed to establish a strong political centre in the country, a development which he said would prevent the kind of lawlessness seen in Zimbabwe in the past few years.
On the implications of the Constitutional Court judgement on defection legislation, Van Schalkwyk said the ANC and the NNP were seeking to take over the 30 local councils currently under the control of the Democratic Alliance.
”We are confident that we will be able to take, if not all, by far the majority of them. By this, we intend expanding co-operation between our two parties.”
The ultimate objective was to bring about stable government at local level, Van Schalkwyk said. ? Sapa