Africa-Press – South-Africa. The DA in the Western Cape welcomed former Patriotic Alliance (PA) member Aslam Richards into its fold.
Richards, a City of Cape Town councillor, left the PA on Wednesday to join the DA.
The DA announced Richards during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Richards accused the PA of treating their public representatives “like dirt”, claiming its culture was “entrenched in fear and intimidation, and who has become an ardent supporter of the ANC”.
The DA’s leader in the Western Cape, Tertuis Simmers, welcomed Richards to the party.
The DA’s deputy leader, JP Smith, called on other “disillusioned members of the PA to raise their voices and stand up against a party that does not share their values”.
“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 the government in the upcoming national elections in 2024,” said the DA metro’s chairperson, Dan Plato.
In his resignation letter, Richards said he could no longer serve the people under the banner of the PA.
“As a councillor, I have had no support from the party’s leadership to assist me with any of the projects I have implemented in communities thus far. The hardworking PA councillors in the Western Cape never get recognition for extremely good work they have been doing for the party,” he said.
“I have become disillusioned to the point where I can no longer be part of a party I cannot respect, and which I cannot see as my home.”
However, the PA’s national chairperson, Marlon Daniels, told News24 that Richards should have left in a more dignified manner, rather than insulting the party.
“He should have left with his head held high and just focused and turned his gaze to what it is he wants to do with his life in politics, as well as the plans that he has to bring to his new party to show his mettle and his worth.
“That’s what I expected him to do. It’s unfortunate he chose not to do that, but there is no love lost; we wish him well with his future endeavours,” said Daniels.
“I completely dispute the merits of his leaving the party because it’s very far from the truth and I am of the view that the resignation letter was written by a DA person because I don’t recall him being in a position to articulate in that fashion,” he said.
Richards told News24: “I don’t understand why the PA would expect any of the councillors to leave in a dignified manner when they treat their councillors like dirt, like I said in my resignation letter, which I wrote myself.
“They think people have no intelligence; everything I’ve said is true. The reason I left was to keep my dignity.”
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
