UDM ditches bid to topple council speaker
The UDM has abandoned its efforts to remove the Nelson Mandela Bay council speaker Jonathan Lawack conceding it did not have sufficient support.
This after Patriotic Alliance councillor Marlon Daniels, who would have been the opposition’s kingmaker, backed out earlier in August to support the DA-led coalition government.
Despite this, the EFF plans to forge ahead with its no confidence motion against Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip on Monday.
The EFF’s Zilindile Vena, who tabled the motion, said its plans would not be reduced to relying on Daniels and council business would continue.
UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani said: “We will withdraw that motion.
“We don’t have the numbers. There’s no point to try and push when we don’t have the numbers.” ANC councillor Mbulelo Gidane, whose motion is for the reinstatement of the deputy mayor position, said he would table the motion in council on Monday.
“I don’t want to talk much because there seems to be a lot of underground work being done by the DA,” Gidane said.
Thsnono Buyeye from the African Independent Congress (AIC) said win or lose the motions would be debated.
Buyeye revealed that since the August 16 council meeting the opposition parties had not met.
“We know the positions of the black caucus and so we did not see the need to meet,” he said.
In order for the EFF’s motion to succeed, they would need 61 votes out of 120.
The DA, ACDP, COPE and PA have a combined 60 seats while the opposition parties – UDM, ANC, EFF, AIC and United Front – also have 60 seats.
To succeed in ousting Trollip, the opposition needs the help of lone PA councillor Daniels.
Party bosses from the AIC, UF, EFF and the ANC failed to reach an agreement on who would be the mayor of the Bay and subsequently deferred that responsibility to the local councillors.
After a late night meeting on August 15 PA president Gayton McKenzie withdrew his party’s support to oust Trollip.
The leaders butted heads where all the opposition leaders demanded to know why the EFF had backtracked after it had been decided that Daniels would replace Trollip.
We will withdraw that motion. We don’t have the numbers, says UDM councillor