Cape Town councillor Dean Goliath quits NCC for One Love Alliance a week before local elections

Cape Town proportional representation councillor Dean Goliath has resigned from the National Coloured Congress and joined the One Love Alliance, a week before the local government elections.

Goliath announced the move in a statement on Wednesday. As IOL reported on 30 October, he gave up his PR seat in the City of Cape Town to make the switch.

In his statement he said the decision followed years of community activism and involvement in politics, and that it was not driven by material interests, personal ambition or the pursuit of political office. He said he wanted to put his knowledge and experience to more effective use.

His stated reason for leaving the NCC is organisational. Goliath said his understanding of organisational development, political strategy and the practical application of effective organisational structures was no longer sufficiently aligned with the direction and approach of the party he was in.

He said he was not leaving out of bitterness, hostility or personal grievance, and that the decision was not about positions, titles or recognition. The NCC, he said, was part of his political journey, and leaving did not erase the experiences, lessons or relationships formed there. He said he had overstayed his welcome within the party and believed the responsible course was to move forward with dignity.

NCC leader Fadiel Adams told the Daily Voice: “We thank Dean for his service and wish him well. Full stop.”

Goliath described the move to the One Love Alliance as a step into a political and community-building project aimed at uniting and empowering communities. He said it was about more than changing affiliation, and that his aim was to strengthen grassroots leadership so that communities’ voices translate into action.

“Our communities need more than political promises. They need principled leadership, effective organisation and a genuine commitment to improving the conditions in which people live,” he said.

He said his allegiance remained with the people and his commitment to community empowerment. “The journey continues. My focus is on building, empowering and advancing our people through love, unity and purposeful political engagement,” he said.

A proportional representation seat is allocated to a party rather than won by a ward vote, and a councillor who leaves the party does not carry the seat with him. The resignation therefore removes a sitting NCC representative from the City of Cape Town council roster at the point where parties are finalising their candidate lists for the 2026 local government elections.

Goliath’s statement did not say what role, if any, he will hold on the One Love Alliance’s candidate lists, and neither party has said publicly how the vacant PR seat will be filled.