The New National Party, which was hit by 17 defections from its ranks in the two week defection period for politicians, has gained its first two defectors.
Daryl Swanepoel, the party’s secretary general said Basil Douglas of the Inkatha Freedom Party and Richard Pillay, a Democratic Alliance MP, have both joined the NNP.
Swanepoel pointed out that Pillay was fifth on the Democratic Party’s Gauteng list for the national assembly. He was leader of the DA’s special task team on unemployment as well as deputy representative on labour and housing.
Pillay became a household name after he was suspended by the Democratic Party (forerunner of the DA) for several months in 2001 during a disciplinary inquiry. He was found not guilty early last year.
This followed allegations by then chairwoman of Intelligence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula who said Pillay left the committee under a cloud because he had ”compromised State security”.
He was replaced by Brigadier-General Philip Schalkwyk as the DP representative on the committee. Pillay said on Wednesday the DA was permeated with racism ”which is also entrenched in the DA’s constitution” which ensured that the party would always be dominated by the elite.
Douglas, who was secretary of the IFP caucus in Parliament, said his decision to join the NNP was motivated by a desire to unite coloured and white South Africans in a party for the future.
Acting DA leader Joe Seremane said in a statement that the party noted Pillay’s decision to defect from the DA. ”His racist parting comments are contemptible.”
The decision by the two to defect to the NNP increases the NNP representation in the National Assembly to 21 and reduces the DA representation from 47 to 46. The IFP drops to 32. The NNP last week lost nine members of the assembly to the DA while the IFP lost Theresa Millin to a new party called the African Independent Movement.
The period for defection by national and provincial politicians ends on Friday. They can defect to new parties without losing their seats. – I-Net Bridge