The Inkatha Freedom Party is demanding R155 000 each from both of its former party members who crossed the floor this week.
Party insiders said the two members — former KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Education Gabriel Ndabandaba and Teresa Millin — received letters from the IFP’s lawyers demanding the money to repay the costs the party incurred in their elections. The letter demands the money within five days.
Ndabandaba crossed the floor to join the African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal. Millin, who was deployed to parliament earlier this month, has set up her own party, the African Independent Movement.
Millin this week claimed that IFP members were forced to sign an agreement ”under duress”.
”Threats of demands for huge sums of money should members dare to cross the floor appear not only to constitute an unlawful attempt to circumvent members’ legal, constitutional and democratic right to cross the floor, but also brings into question the IFP’s claims of a principled stand against floor-crossing.”
Ndabandaba refused to comment.
IFP spokesperson Blessed Gwala said he was unaware of the agreement or any demand for money by the party.
Paul Setsetse, spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Development, said any MPs or MPLs who had been made to sign such an agreement under duress should seek legal opinion because it would infringe on their constitutional right to freedom of association.
Last month all 73 IFP members of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature and parliament were reportedly forced to sign a 17-page Political Party Affiliation Agreement. Besides stipulating the duties of MPLs and MPs, the document says any member who resigns, defects or crosses the floor will be ”lawfully indebted” to theIFP.
TheIFP divided its cost of R11-million for the 1999 general elections among the 73 members to compute the R155 000 that defectors are being charged.
ANC insiders say the IFP’s letters of demand have had a ”chilling affect” in dissuading its members from crossing the floor. The KwaZulu-Natal ANC needs two more seats to gain a majority in the legislature. The IFP has 33 MPLs, but can rely on the Democratic Alliance (6), the United Democratic Movement (1) and the African Christian Democratic Party (1) for 41 votes. The ANC (34) backed by the New National Party (3) and the Minority Front (2) can rely on 39 votes in the 80-seat legislature.