FF+ leaders defect to DA

2003-11-13 17:30

Pretoria - The Democratic Alliance on Thursday said almost the entire provincial leadership of the Freedom Front Plus in Limpopo had decided to join it instead.

Former Freedom Front provincial leader Gerhard Venter, his deputy, Anton Weyers and youth leader Deon Jewaskiewitz signed membership forms and were welcomed into the DA at a news conference in Pretoria.

They told journalists that the vast majority of party branch structures in the province supported the move.

The defection was apparently triggered by the FF's decision to ally itself with the Conservative Party.

"The decision of almost the entire provincial leadership of the Freedom Front Plus in Limpopo province to join the Democratic Alliance is further evidence that more and more people realise that there is no future in a move to the right of South Africa's political spectrum," the DA said in a statement.

"Afrikaans South Africans cannot and must not move backwards twenty years as with the joining of the Freedom Front with the Conservative Party.

The way to the future for Afrikaners is with the DA because the DA is a mainstream party for South Africans of all races in which Afrikaners can feel at home and through which Afrikaners can make a contribution to the future of our country," the statement added.

In their response, the FF+ discounted the effect of the defection and rejected the DA's statement, saying the latter party had not "done its homework."

FF+ spokesperson Pieter Mulder said Venter was earlier this month suspended as provincial leader and all provincial structures had been disbanded.

This was after Venter had apparently appeared in court on a criminal charge.

A party investigation then found that the FF+'s provincial structures had been improperly constituted.

Weyers' appointment as deputy leader was also improper.

A reorganisation was taking place this weekend, Mulder said in a statement.

- SAPA