The African National Congress has snatched an overall majority in the 200-member Cape Town Unicity Council following the defections of 23 of the 32 New National Party councillors.
Among the councillors to cross were Cape Town deputy mayor Gawa Samuels and mayoral executive members Carol Beerwinkel and David Erleigh. Speaker Gavin Paulse was also among the defectors.
This means that only nine NNP councillors have not crossed, but NNP provincial minister Pierre Uys said the crossers “already constitute an overall majority for the ANC”.
The ANC held 81 seats before the defection period — which ends on September 15 — but it will now have 104 seats in the council to the Democratic Alliance’s 70.
The ANC has controlled Cape Town, however, since NNP defectors left the DA two years ago, putting Nomaindia Mfeketo of the ANC in the office of mayor, with Uys as deputy mayor. Uys has since moved to provincial government and has been replaced by Samuels.
The new councillors were welcomed into the ANC by provincial Premier Ebrahim Rasool, Mfeketo and NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk.
Carol Johnson, NNP MP and the party’s spokesperson, said she is “very happy” to be carrying her new ANC membership card. Van Schalkwyk is also the proud holder of an ANC membership card, she said.
NNP members who have not joined the ANC are welcome to remain on as NNP councillors, she said. MPs and MPLs will have to wait for the crossover period next year for those levels of government to defect to the ANC, she noted.
Meanwhile, Uys reported that the DA has lost control of the Langeberg municipality — previously ruled by DA provincial leader ex-mayor Theuns Botha — after a DA councillor crossed to the ANC. It is understood to be councillor Fred Carelse, who was facing disciplinary action from his party.
Uys said at this stage three of five Stellenbosch NNP councillors have crossed to the ANC, including incumbent mayor Willie Ortel. He said councillors have crossed in Witzenberg, Overstand, Overberg, Swellendam, Drakenstein and Tierwaterskloof. — I-Net Bridge
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