After helping the DA clinch control of the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, the man who headed the party’s Bay election campaign, councillor Andrew Whitfield, is heading for Bhisho.
The mayoral committee member in charge of economic development, tourism and agriculture, Whitfield has topped the DA’s provincial list of those who will fill the two party vacancies in the provincial legislature.
The vacancies were left by former DA MPLs Nosimo Balindlela and Veliswa Mvenya who both resigned from the party last month.
While Whitfield’s move to the legislature still has to be gazetted by the provincial legislature within 14 days, he confirmed yesterday that he would resign from the metro council if the list was approved.
The second vacancy in the legislature will be filled by one of the following other DA members – Nomvana Zibonda, a PR councillor at Raymond Mhlaba Municipality, Fezeka Mbiko of Butterworth and Port St Johns councillor Wonga Potwana.
Whitfield, who was a councillor in the Bay after the 2011 municipal elections, left for parliament in 2014 until he was roped back into the Bay after the 2016 local government elections and joined mayor Athol Trollip’s mayoral committee.
The vacancy in the DA caucus has already been advertised within the party.
“Since my election as provincial chairperson last year, I am required to focus on the 2019 elections campaign and assisting the organisation in all corners of the province.
“This requires more time and effort outside of the metro,” Whitfield said.
“I will miss the opportunity to continue turning the Nelson Mandela Bay metro around with the coalition government.“I believe huge strides have been made and that the team will continue to do good work.”
DA Eastern Cape leader Nqaba Bhanga said the aim was to strengthen the DA caucus in the legislature.
“The provincial executive committee has finalised the list and we have made recommendations to the federal executive committee for endorsement.”
Bhanga said he would be formally presenting the list of names to the federal executive committee at the weekend.
“We have four people, including Whitfield, to restructure our list in the legislature and we have rated them,” Bhanga said.
He said Whitfield had been placed as number one on the list as he would also head up the party’s elections campaign in the province. “We are taking Whitfield to [the legislature] so he can go and strengthen our caucus and go out and build the party in preparing for the election and preparing for a formidable campaign for 2019,” Bhanga said.
Trollip said he would apply his mind as to who would replace Whitfield in the mayoral committee.
“We will fill his councillor vacancy through normal party processes.
“There are a myriad of options available to me as the executive mayor,” Trollip said.