Opposition parties get their wish, Trollip's fate as Mayor to be debated next week

It's all systems go after Nelson Mandela Bay opposition parties petitioned Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Council Speaker, Jonathan Lawack, to schedule a special Council Meeting to debate the future of Athol Trollip as Executive Mayor.

Lawack has since scheduled the requested Council Meeting for next week Friday.

The six opposition parties, the African National Congress (ANC), the united Democratic Movement (UDM), the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the African Independent Congress (AIC), the United Front (UF) and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) are no just after Trollip.

According to the documents submitted, they want him, the Speaker and the entire Democratic Alliance (DA) coalition Mayoral Committee gone.

They also want the position of Deputy Executive Mayor reinstated after it was abolished in November last year and a new Deputy Mayor appointed.

"Our national leaders didn't sleep in the table of brotherhood; it has always been us, who thought that we had everything under control, but now that our national leaders are on board, we are 100% sure that this will change the game," said United Democratic Movement (UDM) Regional Leader, Mongameli Bobani, speaking after a meeting by the opposition parties on Thursday.

He was once the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality's Deputy Executive Mayor until last year when he had a fallout with Trollip, who has so far survived two attempts to remove him - one in November last year and another one early this year.

However, Bobani is confident that this time there is no way Trollip will survive.

"…there will be no need to vote because a petition differs from a motion especially now that we have our much needed 51%," he described.

On Thursday, there was a meeting between the opposition parties, which was also attended by Gayton Mckenzie, leader of the Patriotic Alliance (PA), which saved Trollip the last time a motion of no confidence was brought against him.

The PA's Councillor, Marlon Daniels, ended up being appointed the new Nelson Mandela Bay MMC for Roads and Transport through an 11th-hour deal struck between the Democratic Alliance (DA) led coalition and the PA.

Bobani said that the smaller opposition parties are determining how this will go this time after the official opposition, the ANC, said it does not want the position of Executive Mayor once Trollip is gone. The ANC is, however, supporting the petition.

He said that the reason for the new move against Trollip is because of the "drop of service delivery in the Metro's townships".