The high court in Gqeberha has frustrated a politically motivated attempt by the ANC government in the Eastern Cape to dismantle the legitimate DA-led coalition in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.
Since the November 2021 Municipal Elections, two coalitions led by the ANC and the DA have been fighting for control of the council after no party secured an outright majority at the polls.
In just the past 12 months, both coalitions have had a stint at the helm.
Now that the numbers at council favour the DA, the provincial government which is run by the ANC tried to change the system of governance in the R16 billion municipality to include the ANC in a power sharing deal.
On Friday, Judge Avinash Govindjee, saw through this and suspended the plan gazetted by Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams in December 2022.
Its implementation would have completely changed the municipality’s current mayoral system.
Mayor Retief Odendaal said: “In the last three months, we have actually been able to take the city forward. We put petty differences aside and worked for the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.”
Odendaal was elected mayor in September 2022 after a 17-hour council meeting that concluded at 3am with victory for the DA and its coalition partners – ACDP, African Independent Congress, Abantu Integrity Movement, PAC, FF+ and the UDM.
NMB resident Nophakamile Manzana said in the last three months they’ve seen more positive changes in terms of service delivery.
“We’ve had electricity installed in our shacks and bungalows. Municipal officials are now more visible than ever in the townships,” she said.
MEC Williams said his reason for wanting to scrap the city’s governance system – from an executive mayoral system to a mayoral committee – was informed by political instability that was compromising service delivery.
If successful, such a plan could set a dangerous precedent for other metros including the City of Joburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane which are all run by a DA-led coalition but under an ANC aligned Cogta MEC at provincial government level.
Pictured Above: In the middle, Mayor Retief Odendaal addressing the crowd of supporters outside the Gqeberha High Court
Image source: DA Eastern Cape
