ANC claps back after Neville Delport defects to DA -'he self-ejected to right wing formation'

Former Western Cape ANC provincial secretary Neville Delport who recently defected to the Democratic Alliance (DA), says his move marks the beginning of many ANC councillors, particularly in rural areas, joining the DA.

But the ANC has hit back saying Delport's removal was part of its renewal process as he held "a regressive and narrow ideological posture, which sought to divide our people on the basis of apartheid classification.”

Delport’s defection comes just days after the ANC’s national leadership disbanded the party’s Western Cape provincial executive committee.

The announcement was made by DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille at a media briefing in Cape Town on Wednesday. 

The party also welcomed three other ANC councillors who have crossed the floor, Daniel Baadjies from Langeberg, Paul Strauss from Cederberg, and Jason Donn, a regional executive member.

“Its a great privilege to be here today, reflecting on my political career within the ANC,” Delport told journalists. 

“I’m very excited to be part of the DA. I want to thank those who played a role in my development within the ANC, but today that chapter ends. This is just the beginning of ANC councillors, especially in rural regions, who will defect to the DA.”

Delport said he and his colleagues were working on a strategy to ensure the DA remains in control of the Western Cape.

“It was not an easy decision,” he said. 

“After discussions with councillors, we looked at the DA’s constitution, their record of clean governance, and how they run municipalities. We also looked at the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and what they stand for. It became clear that if you join the PA, you’re just a number. There’s noise about you for two days, but no clear strategy for improving the lives of Coloured people.”

He criticised the PA for what he described as a lack of visible development in the wards it governs. 

“Look at Marmosbury, Claver and other towns - there’s no clear service-delivery plan,” he said. “Where the DA governs, there is structure and accountability. That’s why I chose to join this team.”

Delport accused the ANC of sidelining Coloured leaders after its recent provincial reconfiguration. 

“We won a conference on a ticket for change and Coloured leadership, yet we were replaced by leaders who lost that conference - mainly from the metro,” he said. 

“The leadership does not represent the will of Coloured communities. That’s why, as a collective, we decided to find a new political home in the DA.”

He said he had received calls from people urging him not to defect, but declined their requests. 

“There’s no clear policy direction from the PA. I’ve spoken with Alan (Winde) about how the DA operates. It will be a tough road ahead, but I’m willing to take it for the sake of all citizens of the Western Cape - particularly Coloured communities who continue to suffer.”

Delport also criticised the ANC’s newly appointed task team, claiming it was dominated by a faction aligned to the national executive committee. 

“The National Working Committee ignored the will of the Western Cape’s voters,” he said. 

“The task team was appointed by a faction that lost a conference - the same conference won by the ‘Rule for Change’ group.”

Delport, who was elected ANC provincial secretary in 2023, was removed last week following the disbandment of the provincial leadership - a move the ANC said was intended to improve its electoral prospects.

Meanwhile, the ANC said it was “not surprised nor shaken” by Delport’s departure.

“His exit affirms the correctness and necessity of the ongoing reconfiguration process, which seeks to restore the ANC’s integrity, discipline and ideological clarity,” said ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bengu.

She said the party had long been aware of Delport’s “regressive and narrow ideological posture, which sought to divide our people on the basis of apartheid classification.”

“His departure confirms that those who hold such tendencies cannot survive in a renewed ANC,” Bengu added. 

“Renewal is a deliberate act to cleanse the movement of opportunism, self-interest and political convenience.”

Bengu described Delport’s decision to join “a right-wing formation that is openly anti-transformation, anti-justice and indifferent to the suffering of Palestinians” as evidence of “moral and political bankruptcy.”

“His self-ejection validates that the ANC is on the right path - a path that prizes principle over position, and loyalty to the people over privilege,” she said.

According to Bengu, the ANC’s renewal is not about removing individuals but restoring the party’s moral centre.

“We are rebuilding a movement of service, humility and honesty, guided by the Freedom Charter and the struggles of the working class and the poor. The ANC of Luthuli, Tambo and Hani will not be captured by personal ambition,” she said.

Bengu said the ANC’s mission in the Western Cape is to unite all South Africans - Black (African, Coloured, Indian) and White - behind one vision of a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous country.

“We seek a province where the children of Bonteheuwel, Delft, Khayelitsha, Gugulethu and Mitchells Plain can live with the same dignity, safety and opportunity as those in Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and Sandton. This is the essence of our revolution - the restoration of dignity and equality for all,” she said.

“Our renewal is not a slogan but a living programme for change: to build communities that work, create jobs, and return hope to every South African. Those who depart expose their own contradictions; those who remain strengthen our resolve.”

“The ANC, Africa’s oldest liberation movement, marches on - renewed in spirit, anchored in purpose and unwavering in its commitment to justice and dignity for all,” Bengu said.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics