Talks to take place to form new coalition in Nelson Mandela Bay
The DA may get another crack at power in the troubled metro ahead of next year's local government elections, but the question of Bobani's place in it all could prove a stumbling block.
Nqaba Bhanga, centre, the Democratic Alliance Eastern Cape leader, 6 May 2017. Picture: Twitter
According to a trusted source in the Nelson Mandela Bay council, the DA, UDM and other smaller parties will be meeting on Wednesday evening to try to thrash out a new coalition agreement following the ousting of the UDM’s Mongameli Bobani as mayor last year.
DA federal executive chairperson Helen Zille started talking to UDM leader Bantu Holomisa while on an international trip, opening the door to possible reconciliation between the parties amid bitter divisions over Bobani.
The DA will also need the support of the United Front, ACDP, African Independent Congress and Cope if it is to regain the mayorship of the troubled Eastern Cape metro.
Holomisa told The Herald on Tuesday that he was willing to “hear the DA out”.
However, former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip expressed anger on Twitter over the proposed talks between the DA and UDM.
Trollip said this would be “outrageous” as Holomisa let Bobani “get away with breaking every provision in the previous coalition agreement”.
“Bantu Holomisa cannot be trusted in any coalition and the DA would do well to consider his outrageous insults [and] betrayal of the party and its leadership before even thinking about dealing with the UDM. This smacks of another hair-brained, ‘Mamphele Ramphele’-type scheme by Zille,” Trollip added in a further tweet.
Bobani, the former deputy mayor, was initially part of the NMB DA-led coalition government and then took over from Trollip as mayor after his party joined the ANC and EFF in ousting him in a motion of no confidence.
Bobani was subsequently accused of corruption and removed through another vote of no confidence in December. Holomisa defended Bobani, calling his removal a “kangaroo court” decision.
Zille told The Citizen that she, Holomisa and politicians from other parties including the ANC and ACDP had been invited by the German government to visit Germany to discuss the mechanics of coalition governance.
She said “every possible permutation of coalitions” was discussed, but only “theoretically”, and since then only “localised” talks had taken place between Eastern Cape DA leader Nqaba Bhanga and other opposition leaders in NMB.
She said Trollip was “bruised” following his loss to her in the federal council chairperson election.
“I think it would rub salt in the wound if he thought that, following his departure, we would be likely to resume governance in NMB,” she said.
She added that the situation was “absolutely incomparable to our negotiations with Mamphela”.
“I think Athol is saying this from a position of hurt, which I entirely understand.
“I had a long and successful coalition with the UDM when I was mayor of Cape Town, and I did not experience any problems in discussions with Bantu Holomisa,” she added.
Questions sent to Holomisa were not yet answered at the time of publication.
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