Nelson Mandela Bay council; Speaker Jonathan Lewack, then Mayor Athol Trollip and then deputy mayor, UDM's Mongameli Bobani in happier times in 2016. (Photo by Gallo Images / Sunday Times / Brian Witbooi) Date Created:
Coalition partners in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro have reportedly expressed concern over a standoff between Mayor Athol Trollip and his deputy, Mongameli Bobani, saying the current conflict undermines the multi-party government in the municipality.
EWN reported on Saturday that the coalition partners – which included the Freedom Front Plus, ACDP and Cope – found that there was a breakdown of trust between Trollip and Bobani following an investigation this week launched in an attempt to get to the bottom of allegations made by the DA mayor and his UDM deputy against each other.
For months the pair had been at loggerheads, and they apparently don’t see eye-to-eye on governance and appointment of senior municipal staff among other issues.
The panel reportedly said both Trollip and Bobani had breached the coalition agreement by making public statements against the other without raising disputes with their national leaders first.
It also found that Trollip complained that his deputy was uncontrollable, undermined the coalition in the municipality and should be axed. While Bobani accused Trollip of being domineering, not carrying out consultations adequately and infringing on his independence as a representative of another political party.
The panel said the coalition partners and the mayoral committee had expressed support for Trollip as mayor.
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