Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon is expected to use his prerogative to ensure that MP Raenette Taljaard, the party’s voice on the arms deal, as well as other key party representatives left in the cold during the list process, returns to Parliament.
It is also likely Leon will intervene to increase the number of black DA candidates for public office. At present there is a mere sprinkling of black candidates, even in the Western Cape — where the DA must attract the substantial coloured vote it is to reclaim the province. It insists it has more than 50% support there.
Under DA rules, Leon can appoint incumbents to the third and seventh places, plus every subsequent seventh place on the lists, which will be launched at a Valentine’s Day rally in Durban. Last month the DA promised that its lists would show it was not a white party. But it appears the list process has not met that expectation.
Countrywide, many of the low rankings and omissions have come as a surprise to both members and supporters. It appears Taljaard’s constituency in Florida, western Johannesburg, dropped her because it was thought she had not spent enough time there.
This week several serving MPs omitted from the rankings (such as Mpumalanga-based MPs Brian Bell and Mannie da Camera) were waiting to see if Leon would intervene to reinstate them.
It is understood, however, that there has been some good news for the Western Cape’s Charles Redcliffe, who last year was forced to apologise for prematurely announcing his defection from the New National Party. He has moved up several spots from his initially unelectable position. Now he stands a good chance of returning to Parliament.
The Western Cape lists, dominated by white candidates, have raised eyebrows. The provincial leadership met late into Tuesday night to discuss this, but there would be “no comment” until Saturday, according to DA provincial spokesman Craig Morkel, as all lists were still provisional.
The provincial list has fallen way short of DA Western Cape leader Theuns Botha’s public promise that it would be “75% black”.
According to news agency I-net Bridge, there are only three coloured men, including one defector, in the top 10; the first African is at spot 17. And top 10 nominations to the national legislature feature two coloured members: serving MP Sydney Opperman and NNP defector Morkel.
This may prove a potentially lucky election ticket for the NNP in its battle of words with its former alliance partner. “To have a list in this province with only two coloured people on the list is an insult to the coloured people,” said Cobus Dowry, Western Cape MEC and NNP spokesperson.
Rumours are rife that the nomination process — touted as highly democratic with discretion for the leader — has failed. Various cliques lobbied behind the scenes for their preferred choices.
Throwing their weight behind the DA appears not to have paid off for several NNP defectors. MPs such as Frik van Deventer (who also served under PW Botha), Sakkie Pretorius and Willem Doman are all very low on the lists. By Saturday, though, their fate could have changed.