DA takes mayor issue to court
DA LEADER Mmusi Maimane said yesterday that the party had turned to the high court in the Eastern Cape to review and set aside a decision to oust mayor Athol Trollip this week, arguing that the removal was unlawful.
Mongameli Bobani of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) was elected as mayor at a council meeting on Monday night.
Maimane yesterday contended that Buyelwa Mafaya, who was elected as speaker when Jonathan Lawack was removed after a motion of no confidence, was also in contravention of section 36(3) of the Municipal Structures Act (117 of 1998).
“The people of Nelson Mandela Bay witnessed the newly formed coalition of corruption between the ANC, UDM and EFF banding together to undermine the will of the electorate by unlawfully removing its duly elected DA-led coalition government,” he said.
“This was a mock council meeting that elected a mock government.
“The motivation for this unscrupulous move is clear: for the ANC, UDM and the EFF to gain unfettered access to public funds in order to fill their own pockets and their party coffers ahead of the 2019 national elections,” Maimane said.
He said the membership of Victor Manyati, who abstained during the motion of no confidence against Lawack, had ceased.
“He will no longer be a member of the DA.
“He has categorically stated he is leaving and I think the sooner he does that the better for him,” said Maimane.
Trollip said that the UDM, EFF and the ANC “know there is an election coming, (and) they are desperate to take over that city.
“The public purse is fatter than it has ever been in that municipality and the stakes are very high, so they need access to that purse.
“They collaborated to get rid of us,” said Trollip.
“We are going to challenge them in the courts because we believe the MEC undermined the responsibility of the city manager.
“I do believe I am still the mayor,” he added.