PORT ELIZABETH - DA LED COALITION TAKES CONTROL OF NELSON MANDELA BAY METRO FROM THE ANC

A dawn of a new government in the Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape looms as the African National Congress (ANC) gets stripped of political control of this municipality.

Democratic Alliance (DA) Mayoral Candidate, Athol Trollip, is expected to be elected mayor on Thursday as the DA takes the political control of the municipality. This comes with the help of small parties.

The DA has formed a coalition government with the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), the United Democratic Movement (UDM) and Congress of the People (COPE) to wrestle the control of the municipality from the ANC.

The newly formed coalition says it’s going to prioritise rooting out corruption and ensure excellent service delivery, as Trollip explains.
“We look forward forming a government and we know that is an enormous task, but we know that we can prove that different parties can work together to better serve the people of this metro.”

The DA needed only four seats to win control of the municipality.

UDM Regional Chairman, Mongameli Bobani, says the multi-party coalition will fast-track service delivery.

“People have been complaining for long time that they want jobs and a better life and now they are going to get that.”

Residents in the metro have also welcomed the change of government.

“I think it’s important that we elect parties every five years so that we give other parties a chance to govern. I am happy about the DA’s achievement, not that the ANC did badly, but it’s important to give others a chance and see what they can do,” says one resident.

Another resident says: “I hope that that they can give young people bursaries, improve education and also improve the state of housing because there are so many people who are living in bad houses in townships.”

VIA - sabc.co.za