The African National Congress appears to have snatched complete control of the Western Cape legislature — leaving only the KwaZulu Natal legislature out of nine provincial legislatures outside of its complete control.
This follows unconfirmed reports that four opposition members of the legislature had crossed to the African National Congress. At present the ANC has 18 seats in the 42-member legislature. But with Archie Lewis, the United Democratic Movement sole legislature member; and NNP members Ibrahim Isaacs, Nick Isaacs and Abe Williams believed also to have crossed to the ANC, the ANC will hold 22 seats – or an outright majority.
ANC representative Marius Fransman was not immediately prepared to comment, but other ANC sources indicated that the four members had crossed to their party. One ANC source said that it had implications for the continuation of the NNP-led government in the province.
Since December 2001, the NNP has shared government with the ANC in the Western Cape after the NNP withdrew from the Democratic Alliance. Earlier today three members of the NNP’s 17 member caucus left to join the Democratic Alliance. They were Ryno King, Gerrit van Rensburg and Alta Roussouw.
In addition former NNP premier Peter Marais — in the middle of a golf resort funding scandal — has indicated he will be leaving the NNP. That would take the NNP
representation down in the legislature to 10 — just ahead of the now eight-member strong DA.
Meanwhile NNP leader and provincial Premier Marthinus van Schalkwyk said the split from the NNP ”by certain MPs” was about disagreement on the direction of the NNP. ”The majority in the NNP are committed to taking the hands of all communities and to build a South Africa where coloured, white, black and Indian will be playing a meaningful role together.”
”Those that are splitting from the NNP are in (a) flight back to a perceived laager where they believe especially white South Africans will in some way be protected from the realities of the New South Africa.”
What they are doing is not building a stronger opposition, he said, ”but kicking South Africans from the black and coloured and Indian communities in the teeth.”
DA leader Tony Leon said at a press conference welcoming the shift of the three provincial members — and nine members of the national parliament — from the NNP to his party, said of Van Schalkwyk: ”Even the Western Cape, once the party’s stronghold, the NNP is being reduced to a rump and Mr Van Schalkwyk to a puppet premier who governs at the ANC’s pleasure.”
”Outside of KwaZulu Natal, there are only two options in South Africa, the ANC or the DA. The window period for defections allows every opposition MP and MPL (provincial legislature member) to make a choice between those two options.”
The window period for defections of national and provincial elected politicians lasts until Friday April 4. During this time politicians can cross without losing their seats.
The DA gained Sheila Camerer, Willem Doman, Wilhelm le Roux, Sakkie Pretorius, Frik van Deventer, Craig Morkel, Maans Nel, Pierre Rabie and Charles Redcliffe in the National Assembly from the NNP. This boost the DA’s numbers in parliament to 47.
Craig Morkel is the son of former Western Cape premier Gerald Morkel. – I-Net Bridge