African National Congress MP Dennis Bloem has joined the Congress of the People, he said on Friday. He felt he was not trusted in the ANC.

His stay was becoming unbearable after his old friend Cope president Terror Lekota left, he added.

"I accepted Cope’s nomination and subsequently signed the relevant IEC (Independent Electoral Commission) form," he said while wearing a Cope T-shirt still with its new shirt creases. Bloem was speaking at a press briefing in Johannesburg.

Bloem was, from Friday, no longer the chair of Parliament’s portfolio committee on correctional services, as the ruling party appointed that person.

Bloem said he knew nothing about the release of convicted fraudster Schabir Shaik, explaining that only the Correctional Services Minister Ngconde Balfour, who was "not his best friend", had the report.

Shaik, ANC president Jacob Zuma’s erstwhile financial adviser, was granted medical parole this week after serving 28 months of a 15-year jail term for fraud and corruption linked to the arms deal.

Dennis Bloem, MP, has served as a fiery chairman of the Correctional Services committee in Parliament.

He was nominated into number 125 on the ANC list and number 30 on the Cope list. For the past week, he was denying that he is on the Cope list at all.

But he has been involved in a protracted clash with the Minister, Ngconde Balfour, who Bloem implies is linked to possible corruption in connection with a R200 million prisons feeding contract - given several times to the same company.

This February 2009 document shows how much Minister Balfour was at loggerheads with Bloem. It is entitled "Correctional Services questions Mr Bloem’s motives": Click here to view it

Sources: Sowetan reporter Anna Majavu writing from Parliament, and Sapa