Too much ambition might leave a politician without a seat on a council — this was the lesson that some councillors learned the hard way during the recent floor-crossing period.
Figures released by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Wednesday showed that 30 councillors would have no seats on individual municipal councils after failing to successfully complete their floor-crossing.
Among these was a councillor who walked over to another party before the floor-crossing window opened.
Then there were four councillors who tried to criss-cross the floor, changing their allegiance more than once during the two-week period.
The IEC said in instances where councillors did not comply with regulations they would lose their seats.
Meanwhile, the African National Congress (ANC) gained the most councillors during the recent floor-crossing period, the figures showed.
The newly formed African People’s Convention made the second largest overall gain with 36 new councillors, followed by another new party, the National People’s Party, with 31.
The ANC gained 53 of the 250 municipal councillors who crossed the floor in the 128 municipalities across the country.
In only 12 municipalities was a majority shift reported. This, however, does not include the hotly contested City of Cape Town.
The Pan African Congress suffered the greatest loss with 41 councillors deserting it, while the Independent Democrats lost 27 councillors and the National Democratic Convention, 22. — Sapa