Another blow for DA in Nelson Mandela Bay
The Democratic Alliance-led coalition in Nelson Mandela Bay has been dealt another blow with the Patriotic Alliance (PA) announcing that it will no longer be part of its court challenge in the Port Elizabeth High Court.
The party will now be siding with the ANC-led caucus in the metro.
The DA and its coalition partners are challenging the outcomes of last month's dramatic council meeting where Athol Trollip was ousted as Executive Mayor and replaced by the United Democratic Movement's (UDM) Mongameli Bobani.
Nelson Mandela Bay's Patriotic Alliance councillor and national chairman Marlon Daniels says the PA had held a meeting with the DA coalition on Wednesday where they had expressed their concern at the manner in which the DA was managing the coalition in the metro.
The PA's National leader Gayton Mckenzie says they felt it is time to give Bobani a chance to prove himself.
"We supported Trollip when he was in power and now we will do the same for the (ANC-led) Black Caucus because for the Patriotic Alliance its not just about being in power. It's about giving the necessary support and criticizing where you need to criticize.
"We supported Trollip, why can't we support Bobani?"
Mckenzie says the PA also sees no merit in supporting the DA's court challenge as it is facing a mutiny within its own ranks - and that affects other parties.
"The PA has decided for the sake of the residents. We've been fighting. It's been a Jerry Springer affair, that whole council, since we've been voted in. We have not been concentrating on uninterrupted delivery.
"So we have decided to give the new guy space to govern, If mayor Bobani is not governing correctly we shall use our vote to remove him. But it's not just about having power but it's about serving the people."