The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has lost its education minister in its powerbase of KwaZulu Natal to the African National Congress.
Professor Gabriel Ndabandaba boosts the ANC caucus in the province to 34 —
while the IFP drops to 33. The Democratic Alliance lost Omie Singh to the ANC over the weekend. The ANC had 32 seats in the legislature to the IFP’s 34. The DA now has six which means that the DA/IFP alliance has 39.
The ANC can count on the support of three New National Party representatives and two Minority Front supporters — also giving it 39 backers. This means that power in the legislature could depend on the whims of the United Democratic Movement and African Christian Democratic Movement representatives. These parties each have one member in an 80-member legislature.
Last year the IFP-led government, which includes two ANC ministers and two DA ministers, nearly fell when five provincial members crossed to the ANC. They included two from the DA, two from the ANC and one from the UDM. However, they
subsequently lost their seats when the defection legislation was challenged by these parties.
However, the defection legislation has been corrected and a 15 day period for defection started on Friday and runs to Friday April 4. If the ANC gain just one or two more opposition members, they could take outright control of the legislature.
IFP Premier Lionel Mtshali told SABC news on Monday afternoon that he had ”fired” Ndabandaba. – I-Net-Bridge