2007 South African floor-crossing window period

The 2007 floor crossing window period in South Africa was a period of 15 days, from 1 to 15 September 2007, in which members of the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures, and municipal councils were able to cross the floor from one political party to another without giving up their seats. The period was authorised by the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution of South Africa,[1] which scheduled regular window periods in the second and fourth September after each election. The previous general election had been held on 14 April 2004, and a previous window period had occurred in September 2005.

In the National Assembly and the provincial legislatures, the changes were minor, with the most significant development being the creation of the African People's Convention by departing members of the Pan Africanist Congress.

The tables below show all the changes; in those provinces not listed there was no change in the provincial legislature.

Tables

National Assembly

Party Seats before Net change Seats after[2]
African National Congress 293 +4 297
Democratic Alliance 47 0 47
Inkatha Freedom Party 23 0 23
United Democratic Movement 6 0 6
Independent Democrats 5 −1 4
African Christian Democratic Party 4 0 4
Freedom Front Plus 4 0 4
National Democratic Convention 4 0 4
United Christian Democratic Party 3 0 3
Minority Front 2 0 2
African People's Convention[note 1] +2 2
Pan Africanist Congress 3 −2 1
Azanian People's Organisation 1 0 1
Federation of Democrats 1 0 1
National Alliance[note 1] +1 1
United Independent Front 2 −2 0
Progressive Independent Movement 1 −1 0
United Party 1 −1 0
Total 400

Eastern Cape Provincial Legislature

Party Seats before Net change Seats after[3]
African National Congress 51 +2 53
Democratic Alliance 5 0 5
United Democratic Movement 4 0 4
African People's Convention[note 1] +1 1
United Independent Front 2 −2 0
Pan Africanist Congress 1 −1 0
Total 63

Gauteng Provincial Legislature

Party Seats before Net change Seats after[3]
African National Congress 51 0 51
Democratic Alliance 12 +1 13
Inkatha Freedom Party 2 0 2
Freedom Front Plus 1 +1 2
Independent Democrats 1 +1 2
African Christian Democratic Party 1 0 1
Alliance of Free Democrats 1 0 1
African People's Convention[note 1] +1 1
Federal Alliance 2 −2 0
Pan Africanist Congress 1 −1 0
United Independent Front 1 −1 0
Total 73

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature

Party Seats before Net change Seats after[3]
African National Congress 40 +1 41
Inkatha Freedom Party 27 0 27
Democratic Alliance 5 0 5
National Democratic Convention 4 −1 3
Minority Front 2 0 2
African Christian Democratic Party 1 0 1
United Democratic Movement 1 0 1
Total 80

Limpopo Provincial Legislature

Party Seats before Net change Seats after[3]
African National Congress 45 +1 46
Democratic Alliance 2 −1 1
African Christian Democratic Party 1 0 1
United Independent Front 1 0 1
Total 49

Northern Cape Provincial Legislature

Party Seats before Net change Seats after[3]
African National Congress 24 +1 25
Democratic Alliance 3 −1 2
African Christian Democratic Party 1 0 1
Freedom Front Plus 1 0 1
Independent Democrats 1 0 1
Total 30

Western Cape Provincial Parliament

Party Seats before Net change Seats after[3]
African National Congress 24 +3 27
Democratic Alliance 13 −2 11
African Christian Democratic Party 2 0 2
United Independent Front 2 −1 1
Independent Democrats 1 0 1
Total 42

National Council of Provinces

The National Council of Provinces was reconstituted as a result of the changes in the provincial legislatures. Its reconstituted makeup was as follows:[4]

Party Delegate type EC FS G KZN L M NW NC WC Total
African National Congress Permanent 4 4 4 3 5 5 4 4 3 36 68
Special 4 4 3 2 4 4 4 4 3 32
Democratic Alliance Permanent 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 10 12
Special 1 1 2
Inkatha Freedom Party Permanent 1 2 3 4
Special 1 1
African Christian Democratic Party Permanent 1 1
Independent Democrats Permanent 1 1
Freedom Front Plus Permanent 1 1
United Christian Democratic Party Permanent 1 1
United Democratic Movement Permanent 1 1
National Democratic Convention Special 1 1
Total 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 90

Notes to the tables

  1. 1 2 3 4 Party created during this floor-crossing period.

National floor crossings

From PAC to APC

Provincial floor crossings

Eastern Cape

From PAC to APC

Western Cape

From UIF to DA

From DA to ANC

Gauteng

From PAC to APC

Municipal floor crossings

City of Cape Town

From DA to NPP

See also

References

  1. ↑ Constitution Tenth Amendment Act of 2003
  2. ↑ "Political Parties in National Assembly". Parliamentary Monitoring Group. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 John Kane-Berman; et al. (2008). South Africa Survey 2007/08. South African Institute of Race Relations. p. 650.
  4. ↑ John Kane-Berman; et al. (2008). South Africa Survey 2007/08. South African Institute of Race Relations. p. 648.
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