DA’s Trollip delivers first state of metro in Nelson Mandela Bay

PORT ELIZABETH: Nelson Mandela executive mayor Athol Trollip delivered his maiden state-of-the-metro address yesterday, highlighting the successes of his DA-led coalition administration over the past year since it has been in power.

The address was delivered at the Ernest Swanepoel Hall in Despatch.

Trollip said unemployment had come down by 2.2% in the last quarter of the last year, adding that more than 2 000 people were afforded work opportunities under the Expanded Works Programme.

Under service delivery, Trollip said he believed that inroads were made particularly on the reduction of water losses from 37% to 25%. Trollip said crime, illegal dumping, cable theft and housing delivery remained a challenge.

The mayor took much pride in the results of the recent BusinessTech report on the best and worst municipalities in the country for 2017.

“In the customer satisfaction index index, the Nelson Mandela Metro came third on the overall average score at 59%. The category of most trusted municipality saw the Nelson Mandela Metro going from second last to second most trusted.” Meanwhile, deputy mayor Mongameli Bobani of the UDM was late and arrived midway through Trollip’s speech.

Bobani told reporters that he was late because he had gone to see a doctor.

He said: “He (Trollip) did not discuss the speech with

Not strong enough to say he is bringing a vote of no confidence

us as coalition partners, so it’s difficult to comment on the speech that I have not seen or discussed in terms of our political management committee as per our coalition agreement,”

Bobani faces a motion of no confidence in council, which is expected to be debated on Thursday. “Trollip is not running this council alone. The DA has 57 councillors, but I wonder where he is going to get the other votes. He is accusing me of everything, but not once has he brought the evidence,” said Bobani.

“He was not even strong enough to (say) he is bringing a vote of no confidence, he went to the Patriotic Alliance (PA) the new partner in his bed.”

Marlon Daniels of the PA said it was not a matter of jumping at an opportunity.

When asked if he was vying for Bobani’s position, he said: “It’s purely coincidence that it is a deputy mayor position… it’s not something we created. We were never privy to meetings with the mayoral committee team and for that reason it is not something that we have orchestrated.”