The defection of IFP leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi's sometime speech writer and two other members to the ANC on Tuesday came as no surprise, the IFP said.
"It is quite clear that they moved because they were recalled and instead of waiting to see how the... process would go they actually deferred," said Inkatha Freedom Party secretary general Sbongile Nkomo.
"It is sad [that they left the IFP] but it not surprising. Some people seem to think that when deployed in [a] position it is for life, but you can be recalled anytime."
Speech writer Roman Liptak, who also represented the IFP in the KwaZulu-Natal legislature, and the IFP's former provincial health spokeswoman Usha Roopnarain were presented by the ANC at a news conference in Durban on Tuesday morning.
Roopnarain was also a member of the KwaZulu-Natal legislature. Pat Lebenye, a former IFP Youth Brigade leader, was also presented as a new ANC member.
Nkomo said they were not dismissed and they resigned out of their own volition after they were recalled from their positions at the end of May.
"It is not a situation that happened overnight and Liptak already has a post lined up with the ANC," she said.
However, provincial African National Congress chairman Senzo Mchunu said none of the three had been promised positions in the party.
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 