Editorial: Snide response shows arrogance

BY Bay metro mayor Danny Jordaan not responding to a letter addressed to him by DA mayoral candidate Athol Trollip, asking him to commit to eradicating the bucket system, he runs the risk of being seen as not caring about the plight of the poorest of the poor in Walmer township. Trollip has used the platform of his election campaign to goad Jordaan and the ANC, a move the mayor has mostly chosen to ignore. More than any other mayor the ANC has appointed to this city, Jordaan has taken action to restore order in a municipality beset by corruption and cronyism. His valiant efforts to find funding to ensure that all Bay schools have caretakers and cleaning staff show that Jordaan is a mayor who is in tune with the needs of the communities he serves.

But he must be big enough to realise that whether he likes it or not, every step he takes, however sincere, is part of the election battle for the ANC to retain control of the metro. Unfortunately for Jordaan, it was negligent of his institution not to cooperate with the Human Rights Commission investigation into the bucket system, an issue which does make it look like Trollip cares more about the poor of Walmer than the mayor and the ANC do. The response by Jordaan’s chief of staff, Mlungisi Ncame, to Trollip’s letter also comes across as petty and churlish. “Please note that the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro does not have, nor does it recognise, a position of mayoral candidate. We shall therefore not entertain this, or any other correspondence sent in such capacity.” This kind of arrogance only serves to diminish the stature of the mayor as a compassionate, unifying leader. Whether raised by Trollip or the Human Rights Commission, eradicating the bucket system should be a priority for the metro. That should have been the message from the mayor’s office, not a snide swipe at the opposition candidate.