Former Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato, has a new political home

Former Cape Town mayor and Western Cape community safety MEC, Dan Plato, has left the Democratic Alliance (DA) to join a new political party.

Plato, who was a DA Member of the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, joined the People’s Movement for Change (PMC), led by former ANC Western Cape leader Marius Fransman.

The announcement was made on Tuesday.

It was not just Plato who joined on Tuesday, but seasoned politician, also formerly from the DA, Ayesha Abrahams, jumped ship.

SCREENSHOT: Pictured from left - Dan Plato; Marius Fransman - PMC leader; Aeysha Abrahams

Abrahams expressed her disappointment with the DA over its stance on Israel’s war in Gaza.

‘’First, I am a Muslim. I cannot and will not be part of a movement or organisation that are killing our Muslim brothers and sisters in Gaza. I was in Saudi Arabia, and what I witnessed there are indescribable. When I came back to South Africa, I asked Allah for guidance, and [He] showed me the way to this side. I am here to build and help to bring change to South Africa with the People’s Movement for change.’’

PMC leader, Marius Fransman, admitted that there were tensions between him and Dan Plato. Fransman in 2013 accused Plato of having links to gang bosses whilst he was serving as community Safety MEC.

‘’ (Ons was rof met mekaar) all these years, we would able to have very strong political differences, there was always respect, because right at the end, politics is about serving the nation.’’

Plato says he officially resigned from the DA on Tuesday morning.

‘’I am not going to say anything bad about the DA. There is reasons for why I shifted, but I want to thank the DA for allowing me in their space, allowing me to grow as a politician and make use of opportunities. I do not think we are here to get at one another. I am myself now in a different pace. My hard work; integrity in the DA - I will use all that energy in a different format and different environment.

‘’My phone rang in an unstoppable fashion (sic) when the news broke that I am leaving the A to join certain parties, but I believe that the PMC has a lot to offer especially in the disadvantage communities in the metro -  I would love to play a major role in that,’’ added Plato.

In response to the PMC being a party where people from different political parties join, Fransman says, ‘’It is a movement but also a future. There are members of the PMC that do not have political backgrounds. In fact, there are people within the PMC that has different backgrounds, whether economic, political, community, etc. What the PMC is getting right is that it is for all people. I can tell you, I was not in politics for the past three years. The experience we got, and how do we transcend that in the younger generation.’’

The DA leader in the Western Cape, Tertius Simmers, wished Dan Plato, well, in his new journey.

‘’ The DA notes the resignation of Dan Plato as Member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and member of the DA. We thank him for his years of service, both to the DA, and at different levels of government. We wish him well in his endeavours.’’

Other notable persons who joined the PMC includes SA National Taxi Council Western Cape deputy chairperson, Nceba Enge, who serves as the party’s secretary-general; Apostle Moosa Joshua Mohlala, who is the party’s second deputy president.

Done By: Mitchum George