The 15-day floor-crossing window for MPs and MPLs to change parties without losing their seats got under way on Thursday bringing some surprise defections.
Among these were African Christian Democratic Party MP and Chief Whip in the National Assembly Louis Green, and ACDP KwaZulu-Natal MPL and leader Reverend Hawu Mbatha.
Mbatha joined the newly-formed National Democratic Convention (Nadeco), giving it its first seat in the provincial legislature, while Green is believed to be planning to start a new party.
ACDP media director Reverend Selby Khumalo said the defection of Mbatha Green had taken the party by surprise.
”Particularly in the case of Rev Mbatha who, following recent media speculation, gave us assurances that he was not considering such a move.
”The ACDP is a party where people discuss their problems in the spirit of Christian fellowship. We chose to trust him as we did Louis Green and never considered either to be a political opportunist.
”The remaining ACDP office bearers remain committed to their electoral covenants as members of a strongly independent and progressive party. We have assured our members that we remain committed to leadership who uphold our principles, and therefore we are unable to sustain those who do not do so,” Khumalo said.
Green could not immediately be reached for comment.
As expected, four New National Party Western Cape MPLs crossed the floor to the African National Congress, giving the ANC an outright majority in the legislature.
”After weeks of endless speculation on whether the ANC will get the clear majority in the Western Cape legislature or not, we are happy to inform the anxious public that, on the first day of the process the ANC has 23 seats secured,” ANC spokesperson Lionel Adendorf said.
There are 42 seats in the legislature.
Addressing reporters in Cape Town, Adendorf said the four had formalised their commitment to the ANC. They are Pierre Uys, Ellen Prins, Cobus Dowry and Joyce Witbooi.
All had been card-carrying members of the ANC for some time and part of the ANC process and discussions since the agreement between the ANC and the NNP in 2001.
The NNP will disappear completely from the political scene after the upcoming municipal elections.
In Durban, Nadeco spokeswoman S’khululiwe Mathonsi said: ”For a new party like ours (Mbatha’s defection from the ACDP) it’s a great beginning.”
She said two members of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), Lucky Mthethwa and Simphiwe Ntuli had also joined Nadeco.
Mathonsi said Mthethwa was a provincial youth commissioner and the former national secretary of the IFP Youth Brigade, and Ntuli was previously on the provincial executive of the IFP Youth Brigade and also served as the provincial secretary of the IFP’s student wing, Sadesmo.
Nadeco was formed by former IFP national chairman Ziba Jiyane in August. Jiyane quit the IFP after he was suspended for bringing the
party into disrepute.
In Gauteng, the Democratic Alliance lost two of its MPLs — Gerrie Wolmarans and Nelia Pluddeman — to former rugby boss Louis Luyt’s Federal Alliance.
Reacting to an announcement by the Western Cape ANC that certain top DA members were in discussion with the ANC, DA chief whip Douglas Gibson said they had no such knowledge.
”The Democratic Alliance is not aware of any DA member of Parliament who wishes to leave the party and we expect to retain their support throughout the 15 day period,” he said.
Gibson said his party had, however, managed to attract two members including former Independent Democrat MPL Lennit Max.
Max resigned from the ID and is currently embroiled in a court battle with party leadership over the legality of taking his seat with him to the DA.
Regarding another defection to the DA, Gibson said an announcement would be made in the next few days after the MP had informed his former leader.
Meanwhile, the Freedom Front Plus has sent a letter to Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka asking government to consider scrapping the floor-crossing legislation.
Party leader Pieter Mulder said the FF Plus was convinced the majority of voters were vehemently opposed to floor-crossing.
”In practice it means that voters’ voting wishes and their votes for other parties can be stolen without their permission,” he said. – Sapa