Long knives out for Marthinus

2004-04-18 12:34

Jacob Rooi and Eugene Gunning

Cape Town - The long knives are out for NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk after the once mighty party's resounding defeat in the elections.

Angry members of parliament and the provincial legislature who lost their jobs are holding Van Schalkwyk responsible for the party's defeat.

When the new members of parliament are inaugurated on Friday, only seven NNP MPs will take their seats, compared to 20.

Apart from the rebellion against Van Schalkwyk, more dramas developed at the weekend.

President Thabo Mbeki is expected to announce the premiers of at least seven provinces during the next two days. All of them will be members of the ANC and three of them will be women.

Besides seven MPs in parliament, the NNP will have five members in the Western Cape provincial legislature and two in the Northern Cape.

There were talks on Saturday about a delegation of senior NNP members wanting to see Van Schalkwyk during the next few days. Apparently a federal day management meeting was also being planned.

One official told Rapport on Saturday it would be best if Van Schalkwyk resigned.

Northern Cape NNP leader PW Saaiman was being mentioned as a successor for Van Schalkwyk.

Although Van Schalkwyk's political career was hanging by a thread, it was expected that Mbeki would offer him a cabinet position in recognition for the NNP's support in the ANC's bid to take over the Western Cape.

Van Schalkwyk spent most of Saturday in talks and didn't want to comment.

Must resign

Disgruntled party members told Rapport there was no way Van Schalkwyk could remain as leader of the party.

"It's not the party's policy of taking part in government that's the problem, but the leadership," they said.

They said the policy was the same in 1994 "when hundreds of thousands of people voted for us".

They were also concerned that the party would suffer more under his leadership when the next floor-crossing took place. They feared that several city councillors, MPs and members of the provincial legislature would defect.

The political massacre meant that several well-known NNP members lost their jobs.

Among them are Daryl Swanepoel, secretary general of the NNP, Renier Schoeman, deputy minister of health and leader of the party in KZN, Dr Boy Geldenhuys, parliamentary leader, Inus Aucamp, Free State leader, Amie Venter, leader of the North West provincial legislature, and veteran MPs Piet Matthee, Johan Durand and Anna van Wyk.

In Gauteng, Johan and Juli Kilian lost their jobs. Johan Kilian, leader of the NNP in Gauteng, said the packaging of the party's policy was probably too complex.

On the question whether Van Schalkwyk should resign, he said: "Who do you replace him with, and what difference will it make?"

Keppies Niemann, until recently the most senior member of the party in a public position, said he warned years ago that the party was losing contact with its members on grassroots level.

He said he had no problem with co-operating with the ANC, but that there was no consultation between the structures and the supporters of the party.

- Rapport