WATCH: Bid to oust Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip fails

Athol Trollip, mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro. File photo

Athol Trollip, mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro. File photo

Published Nov 30, 2017

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Port Elizabeth - A move to have Mayor Athol Trollip ousted from his position as mayor, failed late on Thursday afternoon at a Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting. 

This failure comes after Marlon Daniels of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and former deputy mayor of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), Mongameli Bobani, brought motions of no confidence against Trollip and council Speaker Jonathan Lawack. 

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) voted against the motion but were not all smiles when the motion was lost and remained in their seats while the Democratic Alliance (DA) celebrated.

PA's Marlon Daniels says he was always “skeptical of the EFF”.

MEDIA: Raahil Sain/ANA

The six seats the EFF occupy were earlier seen as crucial on weighing up if the motions would pass or fail in a 120 seat council.

The DA , the Congress of the People (Cope) , the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and the EFF voted against the motion with 65 votes in total. 

The African National Congress (ANC) and minority parties which included the PA, UDM, the United Front (UF), and the African Independent Congress (AIC) voted for the motion with a total of 54 votes. 

EFF provincial coordinator Yazini Tetyana says the EFF had to support the DA on Thursday.

MEDIA: Raahil Sain/ANA

The ANC’s Litho Suka had earlier taken ill during the course of Thursday and left chambers to seek medical assistance. 

During the council meeting, Daniels was involved in several spats with council speaker Lawack, to the point where Daniels consistently used foul language in chambers.

After 6pm on Thursday, Bobani finally tabled his motion to have Lawack removed and the motion has yet to be debated by councillors.

The motion to have Athol Trollip removed as NMB mayor failed with 65 votes against and 54 votes for the motion.

MEDIA: Raahil Sain/ANA

Earlier, EFF national spokesperosn, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi tweeted: “What is important today in municipality politics is not all those frivolous motions of no-confidence by ANC local government thugs who seek a way to get back their dirty hands on the public purse. All eyes should rather be on #Metsimaholo where a truly novel storm is cooking up!”

UDM Mongameli Bobani says this isn’t the last motion “we will bring more motions to get Trollip removed”.

MEDIA: Raahil Sain/ANA

EFF Deputy President Floyd Shivambu also tweeted:  “The EFF will not support any of the opportunist motions of no confidence brought by the ANC in the Metros. Any rational and sensible South Africa will know that of all devils, the ANC in its present form is not an option &can’t be trusted with political power. They must go jump!” 

African News Agency

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