Name row rocks SA opposition

Mr Marais is opposed by the mainly white DP

By Joanna Ross in Cape Town

The city of Cape Town's mayor, Peter Marais, has returned to his desk amidst a political furore that is threatening to destabilise South Africa's main opposition body, the Democratic Alliance (DA).

Peter Marais was on special leave from the end of August following a debacle over the renaming of two major streets in Cape Town.

What started off as an idea to honour two former presidents, Nelson Mandela and FW de Klerk, by renaming major shopping thoroughfares after them has descended into a farce that is now rocking the DA itself.

Mr Marais was charged with misleading the public after he told a Press Club meeting that there were over twice as many votes in favour of renaming Adderley and Wale streets as against it.

It was then discovered that many signatures of support were in the same handwriting and accusations of fraud were made.

Spiritual advice

The mayor brought in his personal spiritual advisor, Theo Noble, whom, it transpired, the council was paying about $55 an hour for his services.

The situation worsened when Mr Noble tried to defend the signatures, which were collected by his church, saying that many Cape Flats residents were "illiterate".

Two other councillors as well as Mr Marais's spokesman and legal advisor were also investigated on counts of malpractice.

The new street names are to honour the men who ended apartheid

A somewhat flamboyant character, Peter Marais is coloured, ie of mixed ethnic descent, and a member of the New National Party (NNP) which, together with the Democratic Party (DP), formed the DA last year.

He was cleared of breaching councillor code of conduct by a full council meeting on Tuesday.

Whilst his return to work is supported by NNP leader and DA deputy Martin van Schalkwyk, the DA's leader, Tony Leon, has called for Mr Marais's resignation.

Split looms

The Western Cape is the DA's main stronghold, largely due to the large number of coloured voters who tend to align themselves with the NNP rather than the ruling African National Congress.

With the two leaders in the DA both refusing to budge from their positions, its very future is in question.

Mr Leon has called for the DA's national management committee, due to meet on Friday, to fire Peter Marais. The DP holds the majority of seats on the committee.

If the majority of the committee disagree this could lead to a split in the DA.

The implications of that could be local re-elections in hundreds of seats held by DA councillors and local media are already speculating about a possible ANC/NNP coalition forming in that event.