Neville Delport’s Defects

(The Post News)- Former Western Cape ANC provincial secretary Neville Delport has switched allegiance to the Democratic Alliance (DA), marking a major political shift in the province.

He joined the DA on Wednesday during a media briefing in Cape Town, where DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille introduced him as the party’s latest high-profile recruit.

The move came shortly after the ANC’s national leadership dissolved the Western Cape provincial executive committee in an attempt to rebuild the party’s strength ahead of elections.

Defection Signals Political Shift

Delport, who was elected to his ANC post in 2023, had been a prominent figure in the party’s rural outreach efforts. His defection follows mounting internal tensions and dissatisfaction with the ANC’s leadership shake-up.

“My decision to leave the ANC was not difficult,” Delport said, citing the national working committee’s reconfiguration as a key factor.

He added that the party had lost its way and no longer aligned with his values.

Zille said that Delport’s move was not an isolated case, calling it “the tip of the iceberg.”

She revealed that three other former ANC councillors from rural municipalities had also joined the DA, a shift that will trigger two by-elections.

Zille reiterated the DA’s stance on principled politics, stating, “We’re a party of values and principles, not transactional politics. This is just the beginning of ANC councillors, especially in rural regions, that will defect to the DA, as we develop a strategy in the Western Cape to make sure the DA remains the political party in charge of this province.”

Implications for the ANC and DA in the Western Cape

Delport’s defection is widely seen as a blow to the ANC’s efforts to regain ground in the Western Cape, a province where the DA has maintained strong electoral dominance.

The disbanding of the ANC’s provincial executive committee was intended to revitalise the party’s strategy, but critics argue that it has instead deepened internal divisions.

Political analysts suggest that Delport’s move could influence other disillusioned ANC members to reconsider their affiliations, especially in rural areas where service delivery and representation remain contentious issues.

Zille contrasted the DA with other political parties she described as being dominated by leaders who exert control over the party, which in turn influences the state and ultimately society and the economy.

“In the Western Cape, there’s another party that does that – the PA (Patriotic Alliance). The PA works largely on a transactional basis, offering incentives to people. We’ve had people come to us and say, ‘This is what we’re being offered – what will you offer us?’ And we say, ‘We’ll offer you values, not favours’,” she said.

The DA, meanwhile, is positioning itself as a stable alternative, capitalising on the ANC’s internal instability. Delport’s alignment with the DA may also reshape the political landscape ahead of the next provincial elections.