As the floor-crossing window drew to a close on Saturday, sole Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) representative in the national legislature, Motsoko Pheko, denounced the floor-crossing practice as ”political prostitution”.
”Floor-crossing cheats voters — it robs them of the mandate they have given to a political party of their choice,” he said.
”It is hypocritical and gross dishonesty to speak of ‘a people’s parliament’ in South Africa.”
Pheko said that he would not be crossing the floor from the PAC.
”The day I cross the floor in Parliament, horses will grow horns.”
Floor-crossing made a mockery of democracy and should be abolished, he said.
The PAC lost its penultimate MP on September 6 — former secretary general Mofihli Likotsi — to the newly formed African People’s Congress (APC), led by former PAC deputy president Themba Godi.
Godi crossed on September 3, along with the PAC’s only two MPLs in the nine provincial legislatures — Malesela Ledwaba of Gauteng and Zingisa Mkhabile of the Eastern Cape.
APC spokesperson Mafemane Maringa said at the new party’s press launch that the APC hoped Pheko would join. — Sapa