'Trollip defamed me' - Daniels

Patriotic Alliance councillor Marlon Daniels has opened a case of crimen injuria against former Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip.

Daniels, who opened the case at the Humewood police station, said this was based on a tweet by Trollip that Daniels threatened to "f*** him up" during last Thursday's chaotic council meeting.

Someone then responded to Trollip, saying "you wanted to make him Deputy mayor" to which Trollip replied: "It was part of the coalition agreement, remember? When I discovered what he was up to I fired him, remember? We said we'd stop corruption and he was part of the corruption in this city and still is. In politics you have to do what you say by having the courage of your convictions.

On Thursday Trollip said his response was in reference to Nelson Mandela Bay Mongameli Bobani, who served as a deputy mayor when the DA, COPE, UDM and ACDP were the governing coalition in the Bay.

But Daniels said he could not be mute when allegations were leveled against him.

He said he had not responded when the EFF  last year called him an unrepentant thug that had tarnished his reputation and that of his party.

“When the EFF called me an unrepentant thug, I did not defend myself. The problem is once one goes mute when such things are leveled against you, people can then interpret it as being truthful."

Daniels said claims that he had been fired where also untrue.

“Everyone knows that the PA walked away from the coalition. The narrative that he put out is that he fired me when he found out what am I up to and that I have been corrupt and I still am corrupt.

“That by itself constitutes enough to get me at a point where I am, which is I am very disappointed that such allegations are leveled against me,” Daniels said.

"I cannot this time be mute otherwise the interpretation will be that there may be some element of truth,” he said.

Daniels said Trollip should bring forward proof of the allegations so that if found to be true, his party could also act against him.

Trollip said he would challenge Daniels’ “misguided charges vigorously”.

“Marlon Daniels must stop jumping over council benches and to conclusions! Not all that’s said on twitter is about him,” Trollip said.

Trollip said he had tweeted a range of tweets about all political parties that put the governing coalition in Nelson Mandela Bay into office.

“My response to the comment about wanting to make “him” deputy mayor was in fact about Bobani.

“Daniels was never deputy mayor even though he was desperate to become deputy mayor.

“Bobani was deputy mayor as per our coalition agreement and I did fire him as MMC [of public health] and later had him removed as deputy mayor, for all the reasons well known and being confirmed by his actions now as mayor,” Trollip said.

Police spokesman warrant officer Alwin Labans confirmed a case of crimen injuria had been opened at the Humewood police station. 

"The matter is still under investigation," he said.