New coalition government for Bay could be reality by end of next week
● DA, UDM, COPE, ACDP and United Front ‘might’ work together, says Bhanga
A new coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay, made up of the DA, UDM, COPE, ACDP and United Front, could govern the city by the end of next week, according to DA Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga.
Speaking after a meeting with some of the leaders of the various parties yesterday, Bhanga said they had agreed on principle that they “might” work together to remove the current regime.
That is if they can get speaker Buyelwa Mafaya to call a meeting for March 12.
The DA, COPE, ACDP, UDM and United Front petitioned Mafaya to call a special council meeting to remove acting mayor Thsonono Buyeye and Mafaya while also electing a new mayor, deputy mayor, chief whip and speaker.
The petition was signed by 62 councillors out of a council of 120 — including the UDM’s Mongameli Bobani.
The petition also calls for the removal of committee chairs and the appointment of new ones.
Yesterday, Bhanga said Mafaya had ignored the petition and had yet to give notice for the meeting.
Speaking of the meeting with the various parties earlier, Bhanga said: “It’s a warning notice, the first missile to the speaker of the council that the 62 members of the council have affirmed that they are together and want the meeting of council.
“We are writing to her tomorrow to call that meeting. We will take her to court if she fails to call that meeting.
“We are going to interdict her as the speaker and the department of co-operative government and traditional affairs (Cogta).
“On Monday, we’ll write to the [acting] municipal manager [Noxolo Nqwazi] to say she must preside over that meeting,” Bhanga said.
“We want the speaker to learn the law. Want her to feel and understand and pay personal costs for not calling the meeting of council.
“She is supposed to give seven days’ notice. We’re waiting for her; we’re targeting her for failing to implement the law and we will attach costs to her only. It’s a democratic SA and she must follow the law.
“We’re going to make her broke,” Bhanga said.
Asked what else had been discussed at the meeting, Bhanga said: “We are discussing who goes where”.
Asked if this meant the parties would form a new coalition government, Bhanga said: “We wish that will happen.
“If the council meeting quorates and we have that meeting, there will be a new regime here.
“We’re going to remove the ANC on Thursday.
“We have agreed that we might work together — in principle.
“We still have issues to discuss — who goes where and that type of thing,” Bhanga said.
Though the DA, COPE and ACDP were previously critical of Bobani, and played an instrumental role in his removal as mayor in December, Bhanga refused to entertain any questions on whether or not his name had come up in the ongoing coalition discussions.
DA federal council chair Helen Zille previously said they would never put Bobani back in government, while COPE councillor Siyasanga Sijadu has said she would never entertain any coalition agreement if he was involved.
Bobani was notably absent from yesterday’s meeting with the various parties.
Questioned on this, Bhanga said: “We are not discussing Bobani — we’re discussing that we are meeting on the 12th [March].
“I’m not discussing Bobani now and I’m not entertaining that now.
“The person we are discussing is Mafaya,” Bhanga said.
Sijadu said the parties had met to discuss the petition because Mafaya was yet to send out a notice for the council meeting.
Asked if the parties had agreed to work together to form a coalition, Sijadu said: “No not yet, we are still waiting for directives from national leadership”.
Xolisile Peter, of the United Front, said things were looking good and he was positive a coalition agreement would be reached.
Attempts to reach Mafaya and Luxolo Namette as well as Nomakhaya Ntozini of the UDM for comment were unsuccessful.