Parties share their thoughts

SUCCESS OR FAILURE: Nelson Mandela Bay coalition partners and opposition parties share their thoughts with reporters Siyamtanda Capa and Johnnie Isaac on the coalition government’s first year at the helm, and reflect on mayor Athol Trollip’s state of the

1. Bicks Ndoni (ANC)

“HE [Trollip] reported on so-called stability, but there is no stability in the city.

“People . . . are asking themselves if the coalition government still exists.

“We have always said the coalition is the coming together of parties having one thing in mind, which is the combined hating of the ANC.

“There is no communication between the mayor and his deputy; it is a very unhealthy situation.”

Ndoni warned that the failure to have the IPTS buses on the road was going to lead to the metro losing its grant and getting less money in future.

He said the ANC had collected more revenue than what the DA-led coalition was celebrating.

2. Yoliswa Yako (EFF)

“OUR townships are still very dirty, predominantly our black areas.

“We can’t [say] everything is fine because not everything has been done.

“It seems priority has been given to business that is going to bring more income for them and not for people who voted for them.

“A promise was made with regard to jobs, but not much has been done with that. “There’s still a lot of areas that need work. “It’s also very depressing that we are allowing interpersonal party politics to play a role in stunting opportunities.”

3. Siyasanga Sijadu (COPE)

“I BELIEVE we have fared well as a government. We set high targets for ourselves and managed to achieve many of those.

“It hasn’t been easy because we had to earn the trust and respect of administrators who in the beginning were hesitant, afraid and at times defiant.

“In my directorate [sport, recreation, arts and culture] in particular, a highlight is opening the Walmer-Gqebera library. “Overall, we can improve on turnaround time. “Although there has been tremendous improvement, particularly with water leaks, we still have a long way to go. Our commitment is unwavering.”

4. Mongameli Bobani (UDM)

“TROLLIP cannot just talk on the state of the city without consulting the coalition. We [UDM] are not accepting it.

“We are in the council and this council is not a DA council but a coalition council.

“Trollip is not running the council alone, he is running it with all of us.

“We can’t comment on a speech that we were not consulted on.”

He said he would hold a media conference next week to outline “the true state of the coalition” and performance in the first year in government.

5. Lance Grootboom (ACDP)

IN the last year, “we took action on six items in the Kabuso Report; established an anti-corruption hotline, which has received hundreds of tip-offs; suspended five officials for alleged involvement in corruption; [initiated the] audit of the Housing Revolving Fund and banned blue lights and domestic business class travel.

“[Also] 2 000 SMMEs have been assisted through training and business development support [and the] IPTS Cleary Park route is to open in October.”