Cape Town - A Patriotic Alliance councillor in the City of Cape Town has tendered his resignation as a councillor and a member of the party, and has joined the DA.
Aslam Richards submitted his letter of resignation on Wednesday, saying he would continue to serve but could no longer do so under the PA’s banner.
“As a member and councillor of the PA, I have been in communities telling them of the evils of the ANC and how the ANC is destroying communities and destroying South Africa. Every day we see the disaster of load shedding making life impossible for poor people.
“Yet, twice in a row now, I have had to watch the PA hand councils back to the ANC for the sake of a position or a fight with the DA. This is betraying the trust voters have put in us and it makes it impossible for voters where I work in the Cape Flats to trust me as a PA councillor,“ he said.
Richards said he joined politics because he wanted to make a difference, but it was becoming harder and harder to see how he could achieve this in the PA.
“The hard-working PA Councillors in the Western Cape never gets recognition for the extremely good work they have been doing for the party. The party gives no resources and the leadership gives no support to the communities in the Western Cape,” he said.
PA national executive committee (NEC) member Marlon Daniels said it was disappointing that Richards had chosen to “insult” the party on his departure.
“It is very unfortunate that he resigned in such a way that he is insulting the leadership of the party and our president by virtue of his statement. I believe that he should have resigned with his head held up high and focus on what he needs to do going forward. I don’t think it is the right way that he has left the party in that fashion. Nevertheless, we wish him well on his endeavours,” Daniels said.
DA Metro chairperson, Dan Plato said the party has welcomed Richards to the fold.
“We are encouraged to see that not only voters, but also members of smaller parties, understand that the DA is the strongest opposition against the ANC and that uniting behind the DA is the only way to remove the ANC from government in the upcoming national elections in 2024,” Plato said.
Cape Times