Councillor Mongameli Bobani

Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Council:

The meeting of 30 November in perspective

Friday, 1 December 2017

The DA is today basking in the dark light of presumed victory for defeating a motion of no confidence in its Executive Mayor, Athol Trollip, yesterday.

Indeed. Trollip prevailed. The DA danced jubilantly among council benches after losing its majority in assuming power by the tolerance of the EFF.

With the continued, conditional, tacit support of the EFF, still refusing a coalition partnership, and under threat by Councillor Zilindili Vena that “Athol Trollip has his day, it’s coming but it’s not today”, the DA held on for dear life to be reduced to a minority “coalition” government, from being a majority government with UDM support before Trollip’s ‘illicit and secret forensic report’ served to have me removed by stealth. PA Councillor Marlon Daniels, in moving the no confidence motion, clearly stated that he was deceived by Trollip in earlier voting to remove me as Deputy Mayor.

EFF provincial coordinator Yazini Tetyana later clarified that the EFF had no choice but to support Trollip in order to ensure that the ANC does not take advantage in Council.

The DA today is but an acolyte, a servant, to the dictates of the EFF. Victory indeed, claimed in the distressing absence of nothing more substantial on offer at all.

The DA can naturally enjoy victory as a minority government because it is the only relevant South African political party with roots in the apartheid parliament of minority rule.

The DA’s baasskap heart was confirmed yesterday when it made redundant the position of Deputy Mayor, clearing the way for Trollip to be the sole “baas van die plaas”.

Where it really mattered, the people of Nelson Mandela Bay prevailed by the representation of the UDM, the PA, the AIC, UFEC, and the ANC:

Workers will receive overtime remuneration from now on. The DA baasskap over cheap, disrespected labour has been stopped in its tracks.

Outstanding disciplinary matters will be finalised, and lives placed on hold by the DA will be freed.

Evictions will end. Even a member of the DA minority coalition government, after suffering public rebuke by the mayor toughened by his ‘victory’, abstained from DA support for evictions.

And yet, in the end, the DA yesterday lost the single-most important confidence of the people when by its continued presumption of baasskap it clearly announced to all of South Africa and the world that it cannot manage a coalition government, however eloquent its claims to the contrary.

Enough said.

Statement issued by Councillor Mongameli Bobani, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, 1 December 2017