15 September 2007

Despite gaining 12 councillors nationwide, the IFP remains opposed to floor-crossing which, it believes, undermines the principle of representative democracy. 

Out of the 12 councillors the IFP gained during the two-week long floor-crossing window four came from the ANC (Ndumeni – 2, Zululand District – 2), three from Nadeco (Mtubatuba – 1 (Speaker), KwaMbonambi – 1, Empangeni – 1), three from the Independent Democrats (Johannesburg – 2, Tshwane – 1), one from the Democratic Alliance (Nqutu) and one from the Minority Front (eThekwini).

 “The decision these councillors made could not have been easy. It was perhaps made more difficult by the fact that they have crossed the floor to join the one political party in South Africa that has consistently opposed floor-crossing from the beginning,” said IFP deputy KwaZulu Natal chairman Blessed Gwala MPP. 

The IFP believes that the twelve councilors who joined it have put to the test the conventional wisdom whereby the biggest beneficiary of the floor-crossing legislation is the ANC. 

“The ruling party has all the patronage in the country to lure members from other political parties. We on the opposition benches, on the other hand, only have our beliefs. If these twelve members, disillusioned by their old political parties, found our values more appealing than material offers from the ruling party, we do have an obligation to welcome them,” said Gwala. 

The IFP also expresses concern about the incidents where the councillors in the process of joining the IFP faced harassment from their old political parties, particularly the ANC. 

“The ANC is always thrilled to welcome floor-crossers. However, it promptly turns into a monster when it gets the taste of its own medicine and loses public representatives to other political parties,” said Gwala.

Contact: Blessed Gwala, 078 690 5777