Hajra Omarjee
30 April 2009
Johannesburg — THE fate of a number of prominent politicians hangs in the balance, after the release of the official list of MPs due to take up their seats in Parliament next week.
Intelligence Minister Siyabonga Cwele, at number 131 on the African National Congress's (ANC's) list, appears not to have made it into Parliament, along with Deputy Education Minister Andre Gaum.
The ANC has a national list, to take up 126 seats, and the party's other 138 MPs -- for a total of 264 -- come from the party's nine provincial lists.
Dennis Bloem, who left the ANC to join the Congress of the People (COPE) before the election, is still at number 125 on the ruling party's list, meaning that he could be the first MP to be "axed" during the new administration. He did not announce he was joining COPE until after the ANC had submitted its list, containing his name.
Among the Democratic Alliance's (DA's) ranks of MPs, Janet Semple and Sherry Chen did not make it back into Parliament. With party leader Helen Zille heading the Western Cape provincial legislature, it still remains unclear who will lead the DA in Parliament.
It also remains unclear who will lead COPE in Parliament as both party leader Mosiuoa Lekota and presidential candidate Mvume Dandala have a seat in the house. They will be joined by 28 other COPE members in Parliament.
Heading the ANC's list for the National Assembly is party president Jacob Zuma, set to become democratic SA's fourth president. Outgoing President Kgalema Motlanthe is second, followed by outgoing Deputy President Baleka Mbete, Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and Winnie Madikizela- Mandela.
However, because Zuma will be president and will therefore resign as an MP, and the future role of Motlanthe, among others, is not yet clear, Vincent Smith (127) and Beatrice Marshoff (128) might still make it into the house.
Last to make it into Parliament on the ANC's national list - in 126th place - is Molebogeng Dube.
Those returning to Parliament for the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) include its leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Ben Skosana, Koos van der Merwe, Eric Lucas and Narend Singh. The IFP will have 18 MPs, down from the 23 it had before the election.
The Independent Democrats will be represented in Parliament by leader Patricia de Lille and three others, Haniff Hoosen, Lance Greyling and Aristides Seirlis. The United Democratic Movement will be represented by leader Bantu Holomisa and three fellow MPs, while Freedom Front Plus leader Pieter Mulder also returns with his three colleagues. With Sapa
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