The DA’s leader in the Eastern Cape, Nqaba Bhanga, believes the unfolding coalition drama in Johannesburg is perhaps a cautionary tale for managing coalitions in Nelson Mandela Bay where his party’s Retief Odendaal has just assumed the mayoral position. The NMB Metropolitan Municipality has been rocked by years of chaos, a lack of services, and corruption. BizNews correspondent Michael Appel spoke to Bhanga about the recent arrest of three former DA councillors, along with the acting city manager in the metro, among others, about their alleged involvement in corruption which resulted in former Mayor Athol Trollip being ousted in 2018. – Michael Appel
Excerpts from Nqaba Bhanga’s interview
DA Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga on the arrest of three former DA councillors
In 2018, three of these councilors voted against then mayor Athol Trollip out and they were bribed by the ANC. The three of them [Neville Higgins, Trevor Louw and Victor Manyathi] got an amount of R300,000 or R100,000 each to sell out to the DA. They were paid through a tender, which was a Covid-19 tender, which went to a company called HT Pelatona Projects, which was appointed incorrectly. That company got registered on the municipal database and on the same day were appointed on the tender. That’s where you see a list of people who were involved, including the current city manager [Noxolo Nqwazi].
On the state of coalition politics in Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality
Currently we have the PAC. We have the Abantu Integrity Movement. We have the Defenders of the People party. We have AIC and GOOD, as well as the Norther Alliance who form part of the coalition with the DA. All these parties realised that the ANC was deep in the coffers of the municipality trying to steal and decided that they cannot be associated with the ANC. Nobody should be working with the ANC because the ANC knows nothing else but to break everything it touches and Nelson Mandela has been a clear example of this. I believe that we signed a coalition agreement with partners based on good governance, service delivery and also the competency of the people who occupy positions. We are managing it very carefully to make sure that consultation happens on a number of issues. But we have put it very clearly that we are not going to compromise on the principles of clean governance.
On his assessment of the health of the DA’s coalition in NMB
It is still too early, but it looks very healthy as we speak right now under the leadership of Retief Odendaal. Out of ten, I’d say it’s at least a nine. It is very healthy. So far so good.
On lessons NMB can take from what unfolded in the collapse of the DA’s coalition in Johannesburg
There are lessons there and I think that when getting in to coalitions it should not be about personalities, it should be about service delivery. As long as these parties who are partnering with us understand that the people are important and not personalities and individuals. That’s what we focused on when forming this coalition, on the basis of good governance and service delivery. And I think we have learned that to manage a coalition is a 24-hour thing. You must always make sure that you do proper consultation and that when decisions are taken they are taken by the collective, led by the mayor, but also involving coalition partners.
On dragging the ANC below 50% come the 2024 national election
In the local government elections we pushed the ANC below 50%, so we believe this a very good sign that we can get them below 50% [in the national election in 2024]. And any party that thinks the ANC can save South Africa in 2024 is making a mistake. I believe that there will be that cooperation [among opposition parties] where the DA will be leading that coalition with other parties that we share values with. There has been a consistent relationship between ACDP, COPE and the DA. We believe that there will be a new parties that we might also work with who are more or less aligned with the values of the DA. Also, there might be individual candidates who believe in good governance and service delivery. The indications are there that the ANC is on its way out of government.
Read also:
- ‘I wasn’t bribed’ – Colleen Makhubele claims Joburg coalition in tatters
- About 80% of voters believe coalitions are SA’s future
- Complexity of coalitions and the DA’s ‘peculiar deadlock’ – Robert Duigan
