The Democratic Alliance’s hopes of regaining control of the Western Cape legislature were dashed this week when three New National Party members pledged their seats to the African National Congress during the upcoming floor-crossing period.
By crossing to the ANC, provincial health minister Pierre Uys, and provincial agriculture ministers Cobus Dowry and Joyce Witbooi will give the ANC an overall majority of 22 of the 42 seats in the Western Cape legislature. They are already ANC members.
The ANC’s announcement of the impending defection aimed to dispel claims that internal party wrangling is undermining the stability of the ANC-led provincial administration.
”We hope all speculation will end on the possible unseating of Premier [Ebrahim] Rasool and his Cabinet,” said ANC Western Cape secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha. He dismissed any possibility of defections from ANC ranks. Apart from perhaps clinching the single United Democratic Movement seat and that of NNP member Johan Gelderblom, who has kept his cards close to his chest, the ANC is unlikely to gain further seats.
The DA, which holds 12 seats, had hoped to gain most of the NNP seats, believing the coloured Nats would find it difficult to blend into the ANC, and that one or two ANC members might cross to it. This has not happened. And the DA’s plan to form a cooperation pact with other smaller parties, like the United Party, to which NNP stalwart Piet Meyer is expected to cross, or the African Christian Democratic Party (two seats), also looks unlikely.
The DA may, in addition, fail to benefit from the defection of Lennit Max. By early this week the disciplinary hearing will have a verdict, and he may forfeit his seat.
Western Cape DA leader Theuns Botha put on a brave face: ”There is a 50:50 chance [of ousting the ANC]. But it’s all eyes on the local government elections. We are very positive.”
Meanwhile, the ANC has told all former NNP councillors who crossed the floor during last year’s municipal defection period, that they must stand as ward councillors. That effectively means they will have to work hard to return to council — the DA won two-thirds of the 100 wards in the December 2000 municipal poll.