”The Independent Democrats in Gauteng have lost their engine room,” the Democratic Alliance’s provincial leader in Gauteng, Ian Davidson, claimed on Thursday.
According to a statement released by the DA, 11 leading ID office-bearers — including provincial chairperson Peter Batchelor — are joining the DA.
”They are acting out of frustration at the leadership style of the ID,” said Davidson.
ID leader Patricia de Lille hit back on Thursday by thanking the DA for ”taking all the ID rejects”.
”They’re useless, absolutely useless. I can assure you that it’s no loss to us. It’s no loss whatsoever,” she told the Mail & Guardian Online.
”We are a growing [party] and these people can’t keep up. They come from the DA and now they’re going back. There are the ultimate jumpers. I’m glad they’re leaving and they’re free to go.
”These members are not leaving with seats. They’re leaving with just their jackets on their backs.”
Davidson told the M&G Online that he finds it ”extraordinary” that the ID is thanking the DA for accepting its rejects, ”especially since all the people who’ve left them formed their engine room” in Gauteng.
”If they were rejects, we’re pretty happy as the DA to accept them on behalf [of the ID],” said Davidson.
”The ID recently lost its deputy provincial leader when Themba Sono crossed the floor to form his own party. This is an even worse blow to the party, as no party can function when its organisers and workers leave.
In his statement released earlier on Thursday, Davidson said: ”I believe that in this province this blow to the ID will be one from which it will not recover.”
”It must be becoming increasingly clear that the ID project has failed. It was a party without policy, relying on a leader with a high media profile,” he added in the statement.
The ID’s Gauteng provincial spokesperson, Mervyn Cirota, told the M&G Online that it is the third time Bachelor has resigned from the ID.
He resigned in March, but was reprimanded and taken back, under strict provisions that he would fulfil certain duties, ”which he hasn’t been able to do anyway”, said Cirota.
”He’s not very functional. We actually think he’s [going to be] a burden to the DA. We wish them well,” he adds.
The ID statement stated: ”While we have more than 22-million voters in South Africa, the DA is showing their desperation by targeting members of the ID only.
”This is further proof of the DA’s irrelevance on the South African political scene.”
However, DA leader Tony Leon told the M&G Online that ”when your entire provincial leadership abandons you, it’s time to head for the hills”.
This move in the ID leadership comes shortly after the floor-crossing defection period, in which the party’s losses included Lennit Max, who took his seat with him to the DA; Sono; and two MPs, Cecil Burgess and Chris Wang.
The ID members departing to the DA are:
Peter Batchelor, provincial chairperson of Gauteng (Florida branch);
Dennis Peach, chairperson of the Gauteng North regional council (party spokesperson);
Nelson Mailula, provincial executive member;
Nic Fisher, chairperson of Tshwane West and Atteridgeville;
Werner Bean, branch chairperson at the University of Pretoria and ID member of Tuks student representative council;
Dennis Venter, chairperson of Tshwane East;
William Volmink, secretary to the Gauteng executive committee and chairperson of Eldorado Park;
Jean-Pierre Verster, ID media liaison officer;
Henry Peterson, provincial coordinator and Gauteng chairperson (Clairmont branch);
Antoinette Donnelly, provincial youth leader and Gauteng secretary (Eldorado Park); and
Eugene Fortuin, provincial executive member (deputy chairperson of Florida branch).