Bay political parties wary of ANC return to power
WHILE Julius Malema’s recent announcement paved the way for parties to oust Athol Trollip as mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, some opposition parties are apprehensive about the possible return of the ANC to power.
Since the EFF leader announced on Tuesday that his party would table a motion of no confidence on April 6 to unseat Trollip, opposition parties have been celebrating.
Malema stressed, however, that they would back an ANC candidate for mayor if it was a credible person.
He even cited the likes of former deputy minister of finance Mcebisi Jonas, who is from Uitenhage, as an example of the calibre of people they would like to see lead Mandela Bay.
Patriotic Alliance (PA) councillor Marlon Daniels, who led the last bid to try to oust Trollip as mayor, said his party was leaning strongly towards removing the current coalition government.
He stressed, however, that people had to remember that the EFF only had six seats in the council, and that it would need the support of all opposition parties to pass the motion.
“The balance of power is very equally spread to the AIC [African Independent Congress], UDM and as well the PA because one seat can cause a swing vote,” Daniels said.
Out of a council of 120 seats, the DA with its coalition partners COPE and ACDP have a combined 58 seats, while the ANC (50), EFF (6), UDM (2) and PA, AIC and United Front (UF) have one seat each.
There is currently one vacancy which will be filled after next month’s Ward 1 by-election.
Daniels said that putting the ANC back into the driving seat would mean bringing back a party the electorate dismissed in the last election.
The UDM’s Mongameli Bobani said the party welcomed and fully supported Malema’s announcement, saying it was long overdue.
“Even if the mayor comes from the ANC, the most important thing is this will be a government that includes all the parties,” Bobani said.
The AIC’s councillor Tshonono Buyeye said they have always been consistent in their message that they have no confidence in the DA.
Asked if they would support the DA should another candidate be put forward, Buyeye said the AIC was not into politics of personalities and for the party, it did not separate Trollip from the DA.
United Front’s Mkhuseli Mtsila said the party was still consulting at national level on a way forward.
The ANC’s acting Bay chairman Phumzile Tshuni said they would support any motion that seeks to remove the DA from City Hall.
The ANC’s provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said they would be open to talks on any governance framework that put residents of the Bay first.
Asked if was he planning on meeting with the EFF to possibly curb the motion against him, Trollip said it was entirely up to the EFF but added Malema made a unilateral statement of intent about what he wanted to do based on a tit for tat.