The national chairperson of the United Democratic Movement, Kingsley Masemola, defected to the African National Congress on Monday.
Kingsley, who is also the Limpopo chairperson of the party, announced his defection at an ANC press briefing in Johannesburg.
ANC spokesperson Smuts Ngonyama said Masemola’s decision to join the ANC was an important development in the ongoing efforts to strengthen the ranks of those committed to the democratic transformation of the country.
Kingsley told reporters the policies of the UDM were not different from those of the ANC, but the difference was how they were carried out.
”Having noticed this I asked myself why the need to oppose the ANC. Furthermore, I was uncomfortable with the UDM’s top-to-bottom leadership approach,” he said.
Masemola said his decision to join the ANC was not motivated by a need to salvage his political career as the ANC candidate’s list had already been drawn up.
”The UDM has admitted that the ANC has a moral right to lead transformation so it is problematic for me to try to plot its demise as if it was an illegitimate government.”
Masemola said he had not discussed his departure with UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, but planned to do so later in the day.
He said his move was a personal decision inspired by the need to play a positive role towards bettering the lives of South Africans. — Sapa