No more Nats in Parliament
15 September 2005
There are no more Nats in South Africa's Parliament. After 90 years, the National Party has finally lost its last MP in the National Assembly, with Wednesday's defection of MP Andre Gaum to the African National Congress.
The National Party ruled South Africa from 1948 to 1994, the year of South Africa's first democratic elections. During that time it formalised and instituted the policy of apartheid, largely guided by the ideas of Hendrik Verwoerd.
Known as "the architect of apartheid", Verwoerd was prime minister of South Africa from 1958 until his assassination in 1966.
After the end of apartheid in 1994, the National Party changed its name to the New National Party (NNP) and joined the parliamentary opposition to the ruling ANC. But its support base gradually fell away until, in August 2004, the party made the decision to disband after the next municipal elections.
Its representatives have since fallen under the discipline of the ANC.
Gaum's defection was therefore largely expected. He joins former NNP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk and NNP MPs Francois Beukman, Karl Greyling, Carol Johnson and Johnny Schippers in the ANC. MP Stanley Simons has joined the new United Party.
"For the first time since 1915, there won’t be any member of the National Party taking their seats in Parliament when the bells ring," Business Day quoted Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder as saying.
The National Party was established in 1914. It gained 27 seats in the election in 1915 and first ruled South Africa in 1924. It lost power in the 1930s and regained control in 1948.
When the ANC won the April 27 1994 democratic elections, the NP became the official opposition.
SouthAfrica.info reporter
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