In a significant pre-election blow, the veteran ANC organiser and two ward councillors cross the floor, citing party factionalism and a lack of “coloured” representation.
CAPE TOWN – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has scored a significant political victory with the defection of former ANC Western Cape secretary Neville Delport and two ward councillors, bolstering its campaign for the crucial 2026 local government elections.
The defection was announced on Wednesday by DA federal council chair Helen Zille and Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers, who framed the move as a testament to the DA’s values and a major step towards consolidating its governance in the province.
“We are no longer ANC members,” declared veteran politician Delport, a well-known organiser in the rural West Coast region. He was joined by Langeberg councillor Daniel Baadjies, Cederberg councillor Paul Strauss, and ANC regional executive member Jason Donn.
A Strategic Defection
The move is seen as a strategic masterstroke for the DA. Delport brings with him a reputation for effective grassroots mobilisation, particularly in rural areas where the ANC has traditionally held strength. Elections analyst Wayne Sussman noted that if Delport can regain his pre-2024 election form, he will be a “net benefit for the DA.”
Delport outlined several reasons for his departure, pointing to internal ANC factionalism and the sidelining of “coloured” representation within the party’s newly formed Provincial Task Team. He claimed his decision was made months ago after observing the DA’s conduct during a tightly contested by-election in Matzikama.
“I saw how the DA operated, with values and integrity compared to other political parties,” Delport stated, calling the DA “the cleanest in terms of how they operate.”
ANC Fires Back, DA Marches On
The ANC responded swiftly, with national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu stating the party was neither “surprised nor shaken.” In a sharp rebuke, the ANC described Delport’s departure as a “cleansing” of “opportunism, self-interest, and political convenience,” and accused him of holding a “regressive and narrow ideological posture.”
Despite the ANC’s dismissal, the defection underscores the party’s declining fortunes in the Western Cape. The ANC’s provincial vote share dropped from 26.22% in 2016 to 20.3% in 2021, resulting in 16 hung councils. With the 2026 elections promising to be tightly contested, the DA is leveraging this momentum.
DA Western Cape leader Tertuis Simmers declared the party’s path to the elections was “clear” and that they were on course for a “historic moment.”
For now, the DA has assigned Delport the critical task of mobilising support and preparing for the upcoming municipal elections, a role he is reportedly well-equipped to handle.
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