In a blistering broadside that has ignited fresh tensions in South Africa’s fractious political arena, the African National Congress (ANC) has condemned former Western Cape secretary Neville Delport as a “betrayer of the revolution” mere days after his shock resignation and defection to the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA). The move, announced last week, has exposed deep fissures within the ANC’s provincial structures and raised questions about loyalty in the post-election era.
Delport, a long-time ANC stalwart who rose through the ranks during the party’s turbulent governance in the Western Cape, stepped down on October 30, citing “irreconcilable differences” with the party’s direction under national leadership. In a terse statement, he lambasted the ANC for “failing the people of the Cape” through alleged corruption and policy missteps. Hours later, he was unveiled as the DA’s newest recruit, poised to contest a key by-election in Cape Town’s working-class suburbs. DA leader John Steenhuisen hailed the switch as a “courageous stand against ANC decay,” pledging Delport a senior advisory role on housing and community development.
The ANC’s retaliation was swift and unsparing. In a fiery press conference at Luthuli House on Wednesday, national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri accused Delport of “opportunistic treachery” and “selling out to white monopoly capital.” She branded him a “Trojan horse” who had undermined the party’s anti-apartheid legacy from within. “Comrade Delport’s resignation is not the act of a principled cadre but a desperate grab for relevance in a sinking ship,” Bhengu-Motsiri thundered, flanked by Western Cape provincial chair Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula. The party released a dossier alleging Delport’s involvement in internal factional battles, including leaked emails purportedly showing his outreach to DA operatives as early as mid-2024.
Western Cape ANC secretary Faiez Jacobs amplified the attack on social media, posting: “Neville, you danced with the devil in blue. History will judge you as the Judas of Mitchells Plain.” The barbs have resonated among grassroots members, with protests erupting outside the DA’s provincial headquarters in Salt River, where effigies of Delport were burned. Analysts see the episode as symptomatic of the ANC’s eroding dominance in the DA stronghold, where the ruling party commands over 50% of seats in the legislature. “Delport’s exit isn’t isolated; it’s a symptom of talent hemorrhage,” said political commentator Dr. Sipho Nkosi. “The ANC’s vitriol masks panic ahead of 2026 locals.”
Delport, undeterred, fired back in a DA rally appearance, calling the ANC’s response “vindictive smears from a party more interested in power than progress.” He vowed to expose “ANC cronyism” in upcoming parliamentary debates. As the dust settles, the feud underscores the high stakes of crossover politics in a province long divided along racial and class lines. For the ANC, reeling from national coalition pacts, Delport’s betrayal is a stark reminder: in the battle for the Cape’s soul, no defection is too small to sting.