Speaker, die gebeure die afgelope tyd in ons land se politiek het aan ons gewys hoe selfs 'n regerende party se arrogansie in sy gesig kan ontplof, maar dit is nie net die regerende party wat met probleme sit nie. (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[Mr S SIMMONS (NA): Speaker, the events taking place in recent times in our country's politics, showed us how even a ruling party's arrogance could blow up in its face, but it is not only the ruling party which has its problems.]
This past weekend we saw one of South Africa's biggest acts of desperation from the DA. They should have renamed themselves the "Desperate Alliance". [Laughter.]
The Business Day earlier this year reported that the DA is struggling with infighting in its parliamentary caucus. This was followed by the City of Cape Town Councillor Grant Pascoe's confirmation of the racist tendencies within the DA. The same goes for the ID. They are unfortunately not here today. They should call themselves the "Idiotic Democrats". [Laughter.] [Interjections.]
Die OD het van dag een af probleme ervaar. Die onlangse bedanking van die voormalige onderburgemeester van Kaapstad, Charlotte Williams, oortuig my dat Mitchells Plain verlore is vir die OD. Die NA sal dit met graagte oorneem, dankie! (Translation of Afrikaans paragraph follows.)
[The ID has been experiencing problems since day one. The recent resignation of the former deputy mayor of Cape Town, Charlotte Williams, convinces me that Mitchells Plain is lost to the ID. The NA will gladly have it, thank you!]