‘We will return soon,’ EFF says on taking down Trollip

EFF spokesperson Mbuyiseni Ndlozi took to Twitter on Thursday to explain more of why his party withdrew its motion of no confidence in Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip today.

Aside from the fact that they were unhappy about the vote not being allowed to take place by secret ballot, they were also affected by the fact that ANC councillor Andile Lungisa is now behind bars.

He said: “Obviously you know that we could not table a motion of no confidence in Trollip a day after Andile Lungisa and another councillor were sentenced. This means our numbers are not in good condition. The DA knew that in today’s council opposition will be weakened. We’ll return soon.”

The DA, however, was also experiencing some challenges with producing a full complement of councillors this morning in council. One of its councillors fell ill overnight and had to be fetched from hospital in the morning, while another was apparently due in court on a commercial crimes matter. The ruling coalition only has 60 seats out of 120, though the African Independent Congress also committed to supporting Trollip in the vote.

One council member’s vote can therefore make a huge difference.

EFF leader Julius Malema told journalists today during the party’s media breakfast that the red berets withdrew the motion of no confidence primarily because the organisation wants the vote to be by secret ballot.

“We withdrew the motion of no confidence on Trollip because we are still trying to have the secret ballot approved,” Malema said.

The debate was previously postponed on two occasions when the council sittings ended abruptly after members of the opposition disrupted the proceedings with continuous interjections.

The EFF sought to have Trollip removed after the DA had failed to support its parliamentary motion on land expropriation without compensation.

During an EFF election registration campaign in March, the party’s leader told attendees that the organisation had taken the decision to remove Trollip because of the colour of his skin.

Malema further said the move to oust Trollip was an act by the party of “cutting the throat of whiteness”.

The comment, among others, led to some commentators describing Malema and the EFF as fascist.

At the media breakfast, Malema said the statement, “we will cut the throat of whiteness”, should not have been interpreted as fascist, but rather it should be understood as a figure of speech not meant to be taken literally.

The EFF commander-in-chief said the DA had attacked his party for gunning for Trollip’s head because the NMB mayor is white.

During a Twitter spat ahead of the first NMB motion of confidence in Trollip, the DA mayor told Malema the EFF had no valid reasons to remove him from office besides that fact that he, Trollip, was white.

“Had we attacked Solly [Msimanga] in Tshwane, they would not have had an issue. But because they want to protect their white interests [they took issue with the motion of no confidence in Trollip],” Malema said.

The EFF leader indicated that his party might not even participate in future budget votes in the Bay.