The African National Congress’s Western Cape member count has dwindled over the past weekend. This, according to the DA’s Western Cape leader, Ivan Meyer, is a result of 250 ANC members being upset with the party.
Mayer states that over the weekend, 250 ANC members had resigned from the ruling party and joined the Democratic Alliance in Mossel Bay.
Having lost the Western Cape in 2009, the ANC is desperate to win the province over again. Not only because it is the only province that the ruling party does not control, but also because the DA has sworn to keep the province and gain another.
In 2009, following the ANC’s loss of the Western Cape, the party’s headquarters separated the provincial executive committee in order to review its differences. Four years later, one would think that the party would have resolved its divisions by now, however, the ANC continues to display signs of disagreement under the provincial leadership of Maruis Fransman.
When asked to comment, ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile denied these claims, counter-stating that the DA ” are making up these figures.”
“The problem with the DA is that when they recruit black people, they think they are recruiting from the ANC… they cannot differentiate between black people and the ANC,” Mjongile insinuatingly retaliated. The ANC provincial secretary went on to claim that according to recent by-elections, the ANC support base is in fact growing.
“They have been recycling this story for some time now. We were recently in Mossel Bay and no ANC member has joined the DA because of the extent of racism there,” said Mr. Mjongile
It is highly unclear which party is in the wrong. Claims by the Business Day newspaper and other sources suggest that the DA has shown a firm general dominance in the by-elections held in the Western Cape. This would make the need to conjure up figures unnecessary. Although, the ruling party has made a large presence in previously DA-controlled areas, claiming a once DA-ruled ward. Meyer says a number of ANC members and councillors in the province were “unhappy” with Mr Fransman’s leadership, resulting in them leaving the ANC.
Last month, the DA in the province had issued a draft electioneering proposal that equated the ANC with the National Party during apartheid. But many DA members state the unlikelihood of the document’s adoption is substantially high.
