The sole Afrikaaner Eenheidsbeweging (AEB) MP, Cassie Aucamp, will attend this Friday’s opening of Parliament after all, although he first had to win an urgent court interdict against his party’s decision to expel him.
”Yes, you are going to see me there in all my glory … with my wife,” Aucamp told the Mail & Guardian.
In a bizarre political development former Conservative Party elements in the AEB orchestrated Aucamp’s expulsion last Saturday during a chief council meeting. One of their camp, Werner Weber, was elected to take Aucamp’s place as party leader and his seat in Parliament.
For much of this week a certain amount of confusion reigned: there were two AEB members who laid claim to the party’s sole seat and both maintained they would be present when President Thabo Mbeki delivered his State of the Nation address.
The former CP elements, whom Aucamp described as rebels with racist ideals, had for some time been unhappy with him. Last year Aucamp raised the opening of the AEB membership to all South Africans, not just whites. And during the defection period Aucamp announced the formation of a new party, National Action (NA).
However, Aucamp staved off a leadership challenge when the party’s congress was postponed from late last year to March.
On Thursday the Pretoria High Court ruled that the chief council meeting on February 8 was illegitimate and nullified all decisions made there, including the expulsion of Aucamp and others who had joined him in the NA.
Outside the court Weber, who had been elected with his new deputy Willie Snyman and executive members Hannes Scholtz, promised he would contest the court’s ruling.
They have until March 4 to do so.
Additional reporting by Sapa