Speech by
MR JH VAN DER MERWE MP

Madame Speaker

The President of the IFP has submitted a Memorandum to the Deputy President calling for the scrapping of the crossing the floor legislation and for a debate to discuss the matter.

I therefore wish to thank the Deputy President for arranging this debate.

In addition to the IFP President's initiative, the IFP has taken a further initiative to have the legislation scrapped.

I have today submitted a Private Members Bill requesting the scrapping of the Cross the Floor legislation.

These steps are further proof of the IFP's determination to have the legislation scrapped and to put behind us as a very sad chapter in our democratic history.

Madame Speaker

The IFP has lost some members because of this legislation, but our opposition against the legislation does not arise from that.

We made our stand clear already at the time when the legislation was introduced in this House. We stand by these objections.

The REAL reasons why the ANC legislated floor-crossing, are becoming clearer by the day.

And also why they would want to scrap it now.

I believe that the ANC and the NNP devised a constitutional bridge over which NNP members could cross to the ANC, obviously against the will of those who have democratically elected them.

That is why the legislation was passed. No other reason.

So, now that the Nats have crossed, the ANC may as well burn that bridge. They have accomplished what they wanted.

There is, however, a further reason why the ANC will now be eager to scrap floor-crossing.

That reason is the danger the ANC itself faces in three years time of a significant number of ANC members wanting to leave the ANC.

The signs are there for us all to see.

The cracks in the ANC are becoming wider by the day.

The truth is that the ANC have to devise contingency plans to prevent their disgruntled members from leaving the ANC.

Madame Speaker,

Just think about the vicious struggle the ANC is presently engaged in -

. The Zuma issue

. The Cosatu head aches

. The Communist threats

. The Oilgate scandal

. Lack of delivery of essential services to the poorest of the poor

. Countrywide strikes, like you've never seen before

. And the ANC's inability to effectively combat crime, corruption, HIV/AIDS, poverty and unemployment.

Yes, madam Speaker, the ANC's chickens are coming home to roost!

These, and others, are the real reasons why the ANC would dearly want to prevent a walk-out out of the ANC.

I therefore predict that the ANC is going to burn that bridge of floor-crossing to prevent their own disgruntled members to exodus that failing party.

Madame Speaker

The IFP, like most other political parties, believes that the crossing of the floor is not only totally undemocratic, but is constitutional theft.

We believe it is constitutional theft, because the crosstitude takes a party's seat away and give it to another party, against the will of the voters. Nobody voted for that crosstitude, they voted for the party.

Floor crossing is also devised to collapse opposition parties through cheque book policies and other promises.

This strengthens a de facto one party state, which South Africa has effectively become.

Madame Speaker