New national Party

The Nouveau national Party (National New Party - NP) was a Conservative party of South Africa. It had succeeded the national Parti in 1998, had been combined with the Democratic party in 2000 before amalgamating in ANC and disappearing in 2005.

The multiracial revolution of the national Party (1998)

In 1998, the national Left (NP) which had exerted the power between 1948 and 1994, adopts a new name by renaming Nouveau national Party to mark its transformation into multiracial party and its rupture with the ideology of Apartheid.

After during 80 years henceforth having represented the aspirations of the people afrikaner, NP wants to be a moderate party representing all the communities of South Africa.

This semantic transformation takes place after Marthinus Van Schalkwyk succeeded the old South African president Frederik De Klerk with the head of the party in September 1997.

NP does not direct whereas the government of the Cape-Westerner whose Prime Minister is Gerald Morkel, a mongrel, and hopes to consolidate its electoral base.

The disaster of the general elections of 1999

The general elections of 1999 are on the contrary a disaster for the NP which does not collect any more that 6,9% of the voices (against 20,4% of NP in 1994) and sees its former liberal rival of the Democratic party (DP), droitized, to replace it like official opposition at the Parliament.

Ultimate humiliation, NP must be combined with the DP to preserve the province of the Cape-Westerner. It appears since NP is not any more the political expression of Afrikaners or the white but that of the mongrels.

Alliance with the Democratic party (2000-2001)

In 2000, NP must fight for its political survival wedged between its racist heritage and its moderate political aspirations. The desertions multiply to start with Roelof “Pik” Botha, the former Foreign Minister of the governments of John Vorster, Pieter Botha and Frederik De Klerk. Roelof “Pik” Bothac announces then its rallying with ANC. NP is then obliged to get along with the DP and some other parties with which they form the democratic Alliance (DA) for the local elections of December.

This coalition carries a notable success in the majority of the municipalities of the province of the Cape-Westerner as Wraps-Town or Stellenbosh and in some municipalities of the Cape-north, lack little victory with Kimberley. NP and the DA then decide to amalgamate in the democratic Alliance (DA), new political party with whole share. Tony Leon, the president of the DP becomes about it the president and Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, the vice-president.

However, during the year, from the tensions will be born and increase between Van Schalkwyk and Leon. Whereas Van Schalkwyk wishes a more consensual management of the files with the ANC with the capacity, Leon is in favor of the head-on opposition. The crisis will reach its paroxysm because of mayor DA ex-NNP of the Cape, Peter Marais. This one is implied in several legal affairs and Leon wishes his resignation but Marais is supported by Van Schalkwyk.

A new partnership with the ANC (2001-2004)

With the autumn 2001, Marthinus Van Schalkwyk brutally announces the shrinking of the NP of the DA to form a new partnership with the ANC, boulversant the South-African political chessboard and the political balances.

In December 2001, a set of musical chairs makes lose the majority with the DA in the province of the Cape-Westerner to the profit of alliance ANC-NNP. Gerald Morkell, remained faithful to the DA, must give up the presidency which is taken again by Peter Marais. Morkell recovers the post of mayor of the Cape which it must release a few months later following the defection of several city council men NP, remained faithful to their party of origin.

The defection of NP makes lose several town halls with the DA. The NP which recovered 54% of its elected officials manages to be maintained with the direction of some municipalities like that of Oudtshoorn thanks to its alliance with the ANC.

Caught up with by the legal affairs in progress, Peter Marais leaves the presidency of the Cape-Westerner with Marthinus Van Schalkwyk in the month of June 2002.

In April 2004, with the general elections, the white voters sanction the new Directorate of Political Affairs of the NP which keeps the support only majority of the mongrels. Whereas NP reaches painfully only 1,9% of the votes, its partnership with the ANC gives to this last the control of the 2 last provinces which escaped to him. Marthinus Van Schalkwyk gives up the presidency of the Cape-Westerner from now on held by a member of the ANC and is named minister of environment and for Tourism in the 2nd government of Thabo Mbeki.

The rallying with the ANC and the dissolution of NP (2004-2005)

August 7th 2004, Van Schalkwyk announces its rallying with the ANC and dissolution for September 2005 of NP in the ANC. He is then denounced vigorously by his former mentor Frederik De Klerk, from now on without affiliation partisane.

The April 9th 2005, the Federal council of NP formally decided to dissolve political training by 88 votes against 2, and 3 abstentions.

The majority of the members of NP should regain the rows of ANC whereas Marthinus van Schalkwyk greeted the entry of the country in “a new era” and presented its excuses for the old “system based on the injustice” against the black majority.

After 91 years of existence and 46 years of absolute capacity, the heir to the national Party of South Africa disappears from the South-African political scene leaving Afrikaners dubitative on their political future, quartered between the rallying with the ANC, alliance with the preserving english-speaking of the DA, or ventures it radicals of the Volkstaat.

Internal bond

Left national

External bond

Official site

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