MAYORAL DISPUTE
Athol Trollip threatens Nelson Mandela Bay coalition after firing deputy
The decision to remove deputy Mongameli Bobani could have far-reaching implications for the Nelson Mandela Bay coalition
Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip bit the bullet on Wednesday and removed his deputy Mongameli Bobani from the mayoral committee. Bobani, the city’s member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for public health, is from the United Democratic Movement (UDM), a party with which the DA is in coalition. The decision to remove Bobani could have far-reaching implications for the coalition that has been running the city since the August municipal elections. It looked as if the DA was calling the UDM’s bluff, analyst Mcebisi Ndletyana said. The DA could ask the EFF to extend the two parties’ working agreement in Nelson Mandela Bay if the DA’s coalition partner pulled out of the partnership. The DA holds 57 seats out of the 120 seats in the council. For a majority, it would need 61 seats. The EFF has six seats, which it could use to vote with the DA. The UDM has two seats, while Congress of the People (COPE) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) hold one seat each. Trollip recalle...
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