Another move to oust Trollip fails

The opposition alliance in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro may have permanently broken – and mayor Athol Trollip may have survived to stay on and even complete his entire term.

This came after the Patriotic Alliance (PA) vowed to never again align itself with the opposition, due to insults from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

PA councillor Marlon Daniels, who initially planned to break away from the governing DA-led alliance and join the opposition, said yesterday the PA would “never again” support the move to oust Trollip.

He said its national executive committee objected to insults from EFF leaders.

“In our NEC, we were asked ‘how can you work with somebody insulting you in the manner they have’,” he said yesterday.

Daniels said the PA had mended fences with the DA-led alliance.

Earlier, in a move to avoid a defeat, a block of opposition parties in the metro walked out of the council session where a motion of no confidence in Trollip was going to be debated and voted on.

Members of the ANC, EFF, the United Democratic Movement (UDM), African Independent Congress and United Front walked out, causing a postponement to the motion of no confidence.

In a recent meeting at the EFF head offices in Braamfontein, the opposition agreed on Daniels as mayoral candidate, but the red berets made a sudden U-turn, backing UDM’s Mongameli Bobani for the position.

The party’s top brass also called PA members “un-repentant fraudsters”.The plan to remove Trollip depended on which way the PA voted, due to the party’s kingmaker status.

– ericn@citizen.co.za

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