Floor crossing was a system introduced to the post-apartheid South African political system in 2002, under which members of Parliament, members of provincial legislatures and local government councillors could change political party (or form a new party) and take their seats with them when they did so. Floor crossing in South Africa was abolished in January 2009. History Floor crossing was controversial because since 1994, elections in South Africa generally use party-list proportional representation, with voters voting for a political party rather than an individual candidate. Floor crossing allowed politicians elected in that way to change parties, with the possible result that the post-crossing composition of the elected bodies no longer represented the preferences of voters. Floor crossing legislation was initially requested by the Democratic Party and the New National Party in November 2001 as a means of formalising their unification into the Democratic Alliance. The African National Congress, which held the power in the legislature to change the constitution, then did not favour the measure, as it perceived the DA initiative to be a "congealing of a race and class based political opposition." However, when the NNP leadership announced its desire to leave the DA and to form alliances with the ANC in 2001, the ANC passed the legislation. The chairman of the ANC, Mosiuoa Lekota, stated that the party's reasons for the legislation was "for some political realignment... and the break-up of racial power blocks." Floor crossing was originally enabled by amendments to the Constitution of South Africa and other legislation passed by Parliament. The amendments removed clauses requiring members of the National Assembly to give up their seats if they changed parties. According to the void amendments, floor crossing was permitted only twice in an electoral term, during the second and fourth years after the general elections, from 1 to 15 September. The United Democratic Movement (UDM) unsuccessfully challenged the constitutionality of floor crossing. A bill to amend the constitution to again prevent politicians from keeping their seats when joining other parties, dubbed "crosstitutes", was tabled in Parliament in 2008 in consequence of the ANC decision at its December 2007 National Congress in Polokwane to reject floor crossing. The bill was passed by Parliament, and floor crossing was subsequently abolished when President Kgalema Motlanthe assented to the constitutional amendment on 6 January 2009. Parties that gained floor crossers include the African National Congress (ANC), Democratic Alliance (DA),