Coalitions work - Maimane

Coalitions work and after the May 8 elections, I want a coalition that is going to remove the ANC.

This was DA leader Mmusi Maimane's message to residents in Motherwell on Tuesday as part of his kasi-to-kasi tour in the Nelson Mandela Bay.

"We want a coalition that will work and create jobs for people , a coalition that will provide jobs and not jobs for friends

"The people here tell me say that the [ward] councillor hires workers based on their parties.

"He asks people to take out their membership cards. I have a message to the councillor here that whether you learnt that from [president Cyril] Ramaphosa or province, we are here to tell you that we're going to root out corruption," Maimane said.

Maimane's comments come after ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said at the weekend that the coalition in the metro was not working.

Ramaphosa, who was on the campaign trail in the Bay over the weekend, said while driving around he saw how dirty the city was, which he said was evidence that the ANC and UDM-led coalition was not working.

Maimane said as long as coalition governments had the interests of the people at heart and provided services, they would continue working.

"Coalitions of thieves won't work. Bobani is a puppet of thieves and we're tired of thieves in the metro," Maimane said.

Maimane was accompanied by DA MP Phumzile van Damme, Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga and DA MP and Ngqura constituency leader Yusuf Cassim.

Bhanga said when the DA was in government they did not steal from the poor.

Referring to a forensic report by PricewaterhouseCoopers ( PwC ) on the metro’s contract with Milongani for environmental management services, Bhanga said Bobani had allegedly stolen millions from the city.

"Bobani has [allegedly] stolen R21m from [the city using] Milongani [Eco Consulting]. Bobani stole money from the people," he said.

A affidavit by the Hawks found that some of the more than R25m siphoned from the city through the waste management company allegedly landed up in two bank accounts belonging to Bobani and others.

Bobani previously laughed off the claims and raid by the Hawks on his home and office as a political ploy ahead of the elections.

Bhanga said people voting for the ANC in memory of former president Nelson Mandela should stop because he was dead.

"If you vote for the ANC, you're voting for [former president Jacob], Ramaphosa and Bosasa," he said.