Moment of truth for Bay coalition

YESTERDAY marked a significant moment for the Nelson Mandela Bay coalition government.

Following a much-anticipated motion of no confidence, Mongameli Bobani was booted out as the metro’s deputy mayor.

The vote was a tactical move by the DA and its coalition partners, rammed through the council in spectacular fashion.

The opposition, however, has cried foul.

It said the decision by speaker Jonathan Lawack to continue with the meeting while they were walking out meant it had no quorum and thus its decisions did not meet legal muster.

The ANC has promised to seek legal advice on the matter.

But for now, the coalition government appears triumphant.

Its mayoral committee member Nqaba Bhanga said yesterday marked the end of political instability in the metro.

Bobani had largely been regarded by his coalition partners as a destructive force hellbent on sabotaging their efforts.

With him gone, they believe they can get on with the business of governing the metro.

Only, the politics of our city are more complex than that.

Yesterday’s motion saw the council split in half, with the DA and its coalition partners on one side and the ANC with the rest of the parties on the other.

It is likely that this pattern will prevail for some time.

If it does, it places the coalition government in a much more vulnerable position, where no vote can succeed unless it gets the nod from at least one member of the opposition.

To do this, the coalition government needs to tread carefully, to navigate through the petty politics and to persuade and win over some of its opponents.

The stakes are high for all involved. But they are even higher for the million people in this city who deserve an efficient government.