New coalition ‘to focus on stability’

THE newly-elected DA-led coalition in the Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) metro has vowed to restore stability to council following the removal of ANC mayor Eugene Johnson this week.

Johnson was removed from the top post by a multi-party coalition during a dramatic motion of no confidence meeting on Wednesday.

There were 62 votes in favour of her removal, while 58 were against.

Chaos erupted during the meeting after a scuffle broke out between some councillors. In video clips on social media the ballot box is seen being thrown about.

It’s alleged that it was later found discarded and council had to vote again.

DA councillor Retief Odendaal was elected during the early hours of yesterday as mayor of the NMB metro.

Odendaal, a lawyer, was first elected as a councillor in 2009 and served as the leader of the DA caucus between 2014 and 2016.

ANC regional deputy chairperson Siphiwo Tshaka said they welcomed the new developments, but they were “concerned” that the DA had emerged as a force in the metro yesterday.

“We know they don’t have an interests in our people, which are the coloured and black communities, (at heart). There is nothing that they will do in terms of service delivery in those township areas which is where most of the population of Nelson Mandela Bay metro resides.

“We are unhappy that because of our political differences within the coalition, partners had to give the DA a chance to lead this government. There is nothing positive that will come out of the DA in terms of service delivery.

“But we are going to continue to challenge the government in the opposition benches to ensure those decisions that were passed in the previous council are implemented,” he said.

Tshaka said they would now sit in the opposition benches and try to foster engagements with smaller parties that previously partnered with them.

“We are going to continue to engage the smaller parties. There is no bad blood between ourselves and them. We are going to continue to engage and find a way to resuscitate the relationship between ourselves and those parties,” he said.

Odendaal told the Cape Times yesterday that bringing stability to council was the first priority for the new leadership.

“I think everybody has seen the level of instability in the council. The council is broken. Our coalition agreement states there is a need to set out stability. We have to create an environment where businesses want to invest. We have one of the highest unemployment rates in all metro municipalities in the country,” he said.

Odendaal slammed the ANC for failing Nelson Mandela Bay residents.

“In 2016 and 2017 we delivered free basic services to 116 000 indigent households. Now in 2022, under the ANC-led coalition, there were only free basic services delivered to 54 000 indigent households. That means that somewhere along the line we lost many of our poor people.

“The housing delivery for poor people has also come to a grounding halt under the ANC. There’s a 110 000 housing unit backlog in the city. But yet under the ANC government, they only managed to build 28 houses in the last financial year.

“It is high time political parties put the interests of residents first and start working together towards better service delivery,” he said.

Political analyst Ongama Mtimka said Odendaal had served patiently in the NMB council and had seen when the municipality did relatively well in the 2000s, to its collapse in the 2010s, as well as during the coalition period.

“I hope this wealth of experience positions him well to lead. Any governing coalition needs to focus on doing the best it can while still enjoying support from all the partners. Disagreements and attempts to change government present a permanent threat of a change of government throughout the term. It’s perhaps time to explore executive committee systems.”

Johnson declined to comment.