Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Mongameli Bobani has hit back at critics after President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC in the Eastern Cape lambasted a failing coalition government in the city.
In a tweet, Bobani said the metro had noted the statements made by President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC and EC Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane.
The metro is in a coalition government with the UDM’s Bobani, the AIC, UF and a bulk of ANC councillors.
At the weekend, Ramaphosa described the city’s streets as “filthy” and criticised the coalition government that was “not working”. “The municipality has made the area here to be very dirty.
"At local government level, specifically in Nelson Mandela Bay, there were a lot of problems. The metro needs our attention and the services meant for people are not there. Government is meant to serve the community,” Ramaphosa said.
“Here in this metro we are locked in a coalition that is not working. This coalition government is not working and you know why? Coalition governments never really work well,” Ramaphosa said.
But Bobani said he was not certain on what basis Ramaphosa and Mabuyane had made such statements.
“We have not yet received a formal correspondence seeking information on our performance,” Bobani said in a tweet.
“Through the Executive Mayor's office, on request we are prepared to furnish both offices with our performance report, which will factually indicate what we have achieved in the short period. We have also introduced something that has never existed, creating a city with a heart.”
“We offer an opportunity for both the President and MEC in their capacities within government to visit the Coalition government for a thorough brief on our performance and work that we have done to uplift the poor of the poorest,” Bobani said.