No disputing the fragile nature of coalitions

There is a weary air of inevitability about recent events in Nelson Mandela Bay Metro. The opposition parties – united only by determination to oust DA mayor Athol Trollip – have repeatedly attempted to effect a vote of noconfidence in recent times, going so far as to on occasion disrupt council meetings when it seemed their machinations were doomed to failure.

This week they got it right. This was thanks to DA councillor Mbulelo Manyati, who abstained from a vote of no-confidence in the council speaker, Jonathan Lawack. His abstention tipped the numbers in the opposition’s favour. Trollip’s ousting followed and the UDM’s Mongameli Bobani is now to wear the mayoral chain, although Trollip claims he is still legally the mayor and the DA has signalled it will resort to court action.

A similar development looks likely to take place in Tshwane where both the EFF and the ANC will be pushing for a vote of noconfidence in mayor Solly Msimanga.

The Trollip ouster drama has underlined the fragile nature of coalition government.

After the 2016 local government elections a number of coalitions took the helm of councils around the country, notably Nelson Mandela Bay, Tshwane and Johannesburg.

Coalition governance was welcomed by some as providing a bulwark to dominance by one party which had seen politicians relax in a comfort zone, resulting in poor service delivery and corruption.

However, as the events of this week remind us, coalition governments are not all plain sailing.

They are as strong as their weakest link and can collapse remarkably easily. Indeed a famous observation is that “coalition is the art of wearing your right shoe on your left foot without getting blisters”.

What political parties need to remember is while shenanigans might seem appealing ahead of national elections, the electorate often has a long memory. Back when floor-crossing was allowed, voters were repelled by the tawdry goings on. Similarly they may well be alienated by sleight of hand alliances ushering into mayoral office representatives of parties that enjoy remarkably little electoral support. Moreover instability in local government is not in the public interest.

In Tshwane, the EFF and the ANC will [likely] be pushing for a vote of no confidence in mayor Solly Msimanga