Derick Appel vows to amplify the voice of coloured communities within the ANC
Former ANC Provincial Treasurer and current member of Provincial Task Team (PTT) member, Derick Appel dismissed rumours of him defecting to the DA.
Image: Facebook
Former ANC Provincial Treasurer and current member of Provincial Task Team (PTT) member, Derick Appel, says leaders in the coloured community are deliberately pushed out by some within the ANC.
“However, I will fight to ensure that the voice of coloured people will be heard within the ANC,” he said.
He made the remarks on Thursday when he dismissed rumours of him defecting to the DA. His former colleague and the ANC’s provincial Secretary-General, Neville Delport, recently defected to the DA, saying more disgruntled members would be following in his footsteps.
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa pictured with Derick Appel.
Image: Derrick Appel/Facebook
DA Federal Council Chair Helen Zille made the announcement of Delport's new political membership at a media briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday.
The DA also welcomed three other ANC councillors who have crossed the floor, including Daniel Baadjies, Bonnievale Ward Councillor, Paul Strauss, Cederberg Ward Councillor, and Jason Donn, Regional Executive Member.
Appel confirmed being approached “in the silly season of political floor crossing” but has decided not to leave the ANC, “whatever one’s emotions”.
The announcement was made by DA federal council chair Helen Zille at a media briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday. The party also welcomed three other ANC councillors who have crossed the floor.
Image: Ian Landsberg/Independent Newspapers
“I have always served as a proud Riviersonderend-born rural leader with a heart for the people. I was shaped by the soil of small towns and the spirit of communities that never give up on themselves. My calling has never been about titles. It has always been about trust. About standing up for those who feel unseen, unheard and forgotten."
He said that he had the honour of serving as Speaker of the Theewaterskloof Municipality, Regional Secretary of Overberg, and Provincial Treasurer of the ANC in his career.
“In recent days, I have been inundated with messages about rumours claiming that I am leaving the movement I have dedicated my life to. Let me be clear. I am not leaving.
“I am deeply disappointed and disheartened that gossip can be used as a weapon to divide and weaken us. This is not just about me. It is about what such rumours do to the spirit of our organisation. They corrode trust, discourage unity and distract us from the work that truly matters,” Appel said.
Delport was among a group of ANC members that did not make the cut when the party announced a reconfigured leadership in the Western Cape, with ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, saying: “The reconfiguration is not a punitive measure against the Provincial Executive Committee but a proactive and corrective step to enhance the movement’s effectiveness in one of the most strategically important provinces of the Republic.”
Cape Times