The DA and ANC are swapping members like partners at a swingers party.
Yesterday, 150 Democratic Alliance members in the Overberg joined the African National Congress, while in Gugulethu, DA Western Cape leader Patricia de Lille welcomed 100 ANC members to her party.
Former DA ward candidate in the Overstrand Municipality Abraham Prins revealed yesterday how he worked as a “double agent” before joining the ruling party earlier this year.
Prins’ move was welcomed by the ANC Overberg Regional Secretary Themba Tebele, who says he is confident that the step would help them win Ward 4 in the Overstrand, which has been held by the DA since the first democratic elections in 1994.
Another Ward 4 candidate councillor, Maria Prins, adds: “Oom Prins is very popular and his move will surely mean more voters for the ANC. We can win the ward now because Oom Prins always won it for the DA.”
According to Prins, he made the move because he was tired of the DA “doing nothing for coloureds” and being put on the “rooi tapyt” whenever he agreed with the ANC during council meetings, opposing issues like the sale of land near Schulphoek where a camping site for the Mount Pleasant community was situated.
“I watched and listened and decided tot hiertoe en nie verder nie,” says Prins.
He started “talking to the ANC” in 2014 before joining the party formally this year.
Khaya Magaxa, Provincial Deputy Chairman of the ANC, admitted that the ANC has problems like corruption and members defecting to other parties.
“We will never blame society for our problems. If we lose it is not because of the strength of the DA, it is because of our own internal problems through which we create a platform for them,” says Magaxa.
Strong
But the DA’s Anneke Scheepers says the ANC was welcome to Prins.
“Mr Prins was fired from the DA and is therefore not a councillor any more, he failed to deliver to his community and was investigated for racial discrimination before his dismissal.
“The DA is extremely strong in Overstrand and will not lose significant support by the ANC stage managing a so-called walkover by disgruntled former members.”
Yesterday De Lille’s office confirmed the mayor visited Barcelona, Gugulethu, where 100 ANC members have joined the DA.
The party announced yesterday that it was also set to welcome 500 more ANC members to the DA in Khayelitsha today.