The legislative provision for floor crossing — defection by elected national, provincial and local government representatives — was still in place, Provincial and Local Government Minister Sydney Mufamadi said on Wednesday.
He was responding to a question whether the floor-crossing mechanism would still be in place next September when municipal floor crossing is scheduled to
take place.
Mufamadi, addressing a media conference at Parliament, said: ”The fact of the matter is [it] is still in place … but it depends on the political parties. I can’t from where I sit decide that question.”
In May this year President Thabo Mbeki said political parties represented in Parliament needed to discuss and decide on the future of floor-crossing legislation. He said it was not a matter for the Cabinet.
Mbeki was responding at the time to a question from Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon who said a major survey showed two-thirds of South Africans disapproved of defection.
South Africa currently allows defection by Members of Parliament, provincial legislators and municipal councillors in the second and fourth year of their five year terms of office — for a short window period. They may join other parties or form a new party without losing their seats, although they must have at least 10% of a party’s public representatives in tow.
In the last parliamentary floor-crossing in September 2005, the smaller opposition parties were hard hit.
The ruling African National Congress with 297 seats, gained 14 seats from the opposition, taking its tally in the National Assembly to 293. The Democratic Alliance lost five seats but gained two taking its tally to 47 — down from 50, while the Inkatha Freedom Party lost five of its 28 seats. – I-Net Bridge