DA vows to remove ‘turncoat’ Manyati

● New disciplinary process to start against Manyati

Victor Manyati – the DA politician instrumental in the removal of Athol Trollip as Nelson Mandela Bay mayor – remains a councillor of the party, but his victory could be shortlived.

The DA took the municipality to court, along with Manyati, Trevor Louw and Neville Higgins to force the councillors’ removal from the party.

This would open up a public representative position in the party and two ward councillor vacancies in Nelson Mandela Bay.

While Port Elizabeth High Court judge Elna Revelas ruled in favour of Manyati on Tuesday, she confirmed the removal of Louw and Higgins from the party was above-board.

Legal counsel for the three claimed that the termination of their membership was not valid due to internal procedures not being followed.

During a controversial August 27 council meeting, Trollip was removed as mayor after Manyati sided with the then-opposition.

Days later, Louw and Higgins went against the DA when they showed up at a council meeting while the rest of the caucus stayed away.

Their attendance gave newly elected mayor Mongameli Bobani, his executive and the rest of the councillors the numbers to reach a quorum.

At that meeting, the council took a decision to serve city manager Johann Mettler with a notice of intention to suspend him.

In her judgment, Revelas said that Louw and Higgins had been subsequently removed as ward councillors after acting city manager Peter Neilson declared vacancies for their positions and wrote to the IEC requesting by-elections.

This, she said, was done correctly with the party following the proper procedures.

“Both [Louw and Higgins] attended caucus meetings in breach of the [DA’s] strict instructions in this regard and expressed their intention to resign as members,” she said.

“In terms of its constitution, these were offences which entitled the [DA] to terminate their memberships.

“Neither of these two made representations to the [party’s] federal executive, despite an invitation to do so.

“The procedure followed in respect of these two ward councillors was in terms of the [DA’s] constitution.”

But in the case of Manyati, Revelas said he remained a PR councillor for the DA.

“There is no merit in the present application in so far as [Manyati] is concerned.”

She said the fairness of his termination was found to be wanting, as also decided by high court judge Johann Huisamen in September.

The DA went to court in September in a bid to get Bobani’s election declared illegal.

Instead, Huisamen was scathing of the manner in which the DA handled the dismissal of Manyati, ruling that he was still a councillor and a member of the party until he resigned or disciplinary action was brought against him.

Eastern Cape DA leader Nqaba Bhanga vowed that a new disciplinary process would be started, with the “turncoat” politician removed before the next council meeting in January.

“The judge considered the behaviour of Manyti was not acceptable. He betrayed trust among his colleagues and sabotaged the party,” he said.

Bhanga said Revelas had vindicated the party as she stated in her judgment that Manyati did, in fact, sabotage his own party.

“Come the next council meeting his case will be concluded,” he said.

“Manyati is not a member of the DA. He sits with the ANC and votes with them. He undermines the DA.”

Manyati said he would always support the DA.

“I just wish things could just change within the DA and they can see things in a more African way.”