Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Executive Mayor Athol Trollip delivered his maiden state-of-the-metro address on Thursday, highlighting the successes of his Democratic Alliance-led coalition administration over the past year since it has been in power.
The state-of-the-metro address was delivered at the Ernest Swanepoel Hall in Despatch. In his speech, Trollip said that under the new administration unemployment had come down by 2.2% in the last quarter of the last year, adding that more than 2000 people were afforded work opportunities under the Expanded Works Programme.
Trollip said that the city needed to attract more investment from local, national, and international investors.
"We have had very constructive meetings with Transnet and Prasa and are beginning to improve our relations with the Coega Development Corporation," said Trollip.
Under service delivery, Trollip said that he believed that inroads were made particularly on the reduction front of water losses from 37% to 25%.
He said that a number of new roads had been surfaced and the metro had done more work in cleaning stormwater drains in the past year.
Trollip said that crime, illegal dumping, cable theft and housing delivery remained a challenge.
"The theft of electricity is an even greater risk and can only be combatted with the necessary funds. We continue to battle with the National Department of Energy to get the R150 million promised to eradicate illegal electricity connections."
The mayor took much pride in the results of the recent Businesstech report on the Best and Worst Municipalities in country for 2017.
"In the customer satisfaction index index, the Nelson Mandela Metro came third on the overall average score at 59%. The category of Most Trusted Municipality saw the Nelson Mandela Metro going from second last to second most trusted," said Trollip.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor Mongameli Bobani of the United Democratic Movement was late and arrived midway through Trollip's speech to a loud applause from some metro councillors.
Bobani told reporters that he was late because he had gone to see a medical doctor.
He said that he could not offer much comment on the Trollip's speech because he was not consulted on its contents.
"He did not discuss the speech with us as coalition partners so it's difficult to comment on the speech that I have not seen or discussed in terms of our political management committee as per our coalition agreement," Bobani faces a motion of no confidence at a council which is expected to be debated on August 24.
"Trollip is not running this council alone. The DA has 57 councillors but I wonder where he is he going to get the other votes.He is accusing me of everything but not once has he brought the evidence," said Bobani.
"He was not even strong enough to [say] he is bringing a vote of no confidence, he went to the Patriotic Alliance the new partner in his bed, he [Trollip] decided for the Patriotic Alliance to put a vote of no confidence, we are waiting for it we will beat it."
Speaking to the media, Marlon Daniels of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), said it was not a matter of jumping at an opportunity because an impasse could have happened between the mayor and any other coalition partner.
When asked if he was vying for Bobani's position, if the motion was successful, this was Daniels response: "It's purely coincidence that it is a deputy mayor position..it's not something we created we were never privy to sit in meetings with the mayoral committee team and for that reason it is not something that we have orchestrated.
"I've read about the infighting between the mayor and deputy and I don't think the Patriotic Alliance has anything to do with that, it could of been any position," said Daniels.