/ 3 September 2007

Floor-crossing helps ANC in W Cape

The floor-crossing saga took another turn on Monday as the African National Congress claimed control of the Drakenstein and Knysna municipalities.

”Seven council members, six from the Independent Democrats [ID] and one independent, have crossed the floor to join the ANC in the Drakenstein municipality,” the party said in a statement.

The six ID councillors were senior members of that party and all members of the mayoral committee, including the deputy mayor. They are Wilhelm Nothnagel, Martinus le Hoe, Thulani Kompela, Harisah Douman, Claude Julies and Conwill du Plessis. The independent councillor is Philemon Mazam.

ANC Western Cape provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha welcomed the councillors as full members of the ANC.

”The ANC will reconstitute the Drakenstein municipality. This will put an end to the three months’ DA rule in the council. I can also confirm that the ANC has an absolute majority in the Knysna municipality. We are confident of further gains in the provincial legislature and other municipalities,” Skwatsha said.

Responding later on Monday, ID Western Cape provincial chairperson Izak Jenner said ”Skwatsha and his faction in the ANC are fighting for their political survival”.

They are using the floor-crossing period to try to redress their abysmal scorecard in terms of the number of municipalities they control in the Western Cape,” Jenner said.

”It is clear that he is trying to divert attention away from the divisions in the [provincial] ANC by attacking the ID.

”In Drakenstein he will have to answer to the ANC caucus as to why it is that defectors to the party will now be given mayoral committee positions ahead of long-standing party members,” Jenner said.

ID distances itself from Sasman

Meanwhile, the ID’s caucus leader in the Cape Town city council, Simon Grindrod, strongly criticised former ID councillor David Sasman, now leader of the National People’s Party.

”For over a year David Sasman evaded facing an ID disciplinary hearing by submitting countless sick notes from a psychiatrist stating he suffers from acute agoraphobia,” he said in a statement.

According to Sasman’s doctor he was unable to attend any meetings whatsoever, or be in close proximity to people, as this might have triggered a panic attack.

”This was also the reason given by Sasman for not attending any council meetings for the last eight months, despite claiming his full councillor’s salary from city taxpayers,” Grindrod said.

By publicly claiming to be the leader of the NPP, Sasman has now revealed himself to have intimate knowledge of the well-publicised alleged illegal activities perpetrated during the formation of the NPP.

”As for Sasman’s lies that he has successfully signed up ID councillors in the City of Cape Town, this is rejected as the fantasy of a very confused and unstable man who is clearly under the influence of Badih Chabaan [African Muslim Party councillor],” said Grindrod. ”The ID caucus in the city remains united and wants nothing to do with Sasman, Chabaan and their cronies.”

He added: ”The only confirmed walkover from the ID in the city remains Michael Britz, who has returned to his previous political home, the DA [Democratic Alliance].” — Sapa