By Odwa Bafana Mkentane
The ANC in the Western Cape is calling for the removal of two of its councillors after Thembinkosi Mjuza appeared on the DA’s candidate list submitted to the IEC, while Lindile Sonyoka has defected to the Patriotic Alliance. The developments have opened another front in the battle for political control of Cape Town, raising questions about councillor loyalty, party switching and what these defections could mean for the ANC as it heads into the local government elections.
Political Analyst Dr Oscar Van Heerden says the law requires councillors who leave the ANC to vacate their ward seats, triggering by-elections.
“Well, the law is very clear. If that happens, those people lose their seats in the ANC, and then there is a framework for by-elections that must happen because these are not councillors that are on the PR list, they come from the ward. So there has to be a by-election. But because of the rules of the IEC, the election date has already been pronounced, lists have been submitted, and therefore there is no time, and in fact, elections cannot take place between now and November. So, those members will now be part of the new party, not the ANC. They won’t be on the list of parties because, as I said, it has already been submitted to the IEC. They will probably be accommodated elsewhere within the party apparatus,” said Van Heerden.
Van Heerden added that more and more ANC members will jump the ship.
“This is correct in some of the instances that are the case. It is about. It’s being a little bit clever. I’m sure those loopholes will be closed in future. But this is what the ANC is now sitting with, and dare I say this is a pattern that will increase over the coming years as the ANC party diminishes its power base and its support, more and more ANC people are going to jump ship.
“I mean, the truth of the matter is I am absolutely certain in my analysis that the ANC will be the biggest loser in this election and the PA will be the biggest winner, and because of that phenomenon, I do think that the DA is going to face some difficulties in a number of municipalities where the DA is. The PA is going to gain some of the votes, and particularly mainly from the DA,” Van Heerden said.
Photo: MyANC
