The ranks of the African National Congress in Gauteng municipalities swelled by 23 on the first day of floor-crossing on Wednesday.
The Democratic Alliance reported that 22 councillors, mainly from the New National Party, joined it on Wednesday.
Sixteen New National Party councillors and seven DA councillors have crossed the floor to the ANC and more defections are expected, said ANC provincial secretary David Makhura.
However, he told reporters in Johannesburg the ANC is ”not chasing numbers”.
”Our key project is about nation building — getting support from the white areas.”
The Gauteng secretary general of the New National Party, Daryl Swanepoel, said he expects that by the end of the floor-crossing period on September 15 the bulk of the 37 NNP councillors in the province will have joined the ANC.
He strongly defended this decision by the councillors and denied they are betraying the mandate of the electorate.
”We have for a number of years been talking to our electorate about cooperation. The people who voted us in the last election voted for cooperation.”
‘Largest gain’ for DA
Party leader Tony Leon said the 22 councillors whom it welcomed into its fold represent the largest gain of any opposition party in the first hours of the defection period.
”They are drawn from all communities, black, white, coloured and Indian, in six provinces and will enhance the DA’s ability to represent all communities,” Leon said.
”The African National Congress will be surprised that not a single councillor that is joining the DA today and in the days following has been offered any financial incentives, or promises of higher office in order to secure their membership,” Leon told reporters in Bloemfontein.
He said that by defecting, the NNP members are honouring the original mandate on which they were elected in 2000 under the DA flag.
”I am particularly pleased to make this announcement in Bloemfontein where the National Party was born 90 years ago.
”It is today with the NNP’s final and dishonourable capitulation to the ANC that the NNP leadership has buried their party in exchange for a few crumbs.”
Leon said it is not good for democracy in South Africa that the ANC has increased its majority without a vote being cast.
”This situation will have to be corrected at next year’s local government elections.”
He said his party believes that when the window closes, the DA will be confirmed as the only national alternative to the ANC.
”We will have five times more councillors than the nearest alternative,” Leon said. — Sapa
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