DA, UDM talks just a ‘hare-brained scheme’ — Trollip

The DA’s decision to have talks with the UDM to form a coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay is just another hare-brained scheme concocted by the party’s federal council chair, Helen Zille.

This was the reaction of former Bay mayor Athol Trollip, who took to Twitter on Tuesday, where he labelled the party’s decision to sit down with the UDM as “outrageous”.

HeraldLIVE reported on Wednesday that secret talks between the DA and smaller political parties, including the UDM, are set to take place later this afternoon as they jostle for control of the city.

Discussions have intensified in the last week, with all nine of the Bay’s parties thrashing out coalition options.

But Trollip was not impressed with the news, tweeting: “This smacks of another hare-brained Mamphela Ramphele type scheme by Zille.”

Just five days after an announcement that former Agang SA leader Ramphele was joining the DA and standing as its presidential candidate for the 2014 general elections, that marriage ended.

Trollip also attacked UDM leader Bantu Holomisa, saying he could not be trusted.

“Bantu Holomisa cannot be trusted in any coalition and the DA would do well to consider his outrageous insults and betrayal of the party and its leadership before even thinking about dealing with the UDM,” he tweeted.

He accused Holomisa of allowing UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani of reneging on the coalition agreement when Trollip was mayor.

“This is outrageous. Holomisa allowed Bobani to get away with breaking every provision in the previous coalition agreement, he has insulted everyone in the DA and its leadership and now he and Helen Zille are in discussions about a coalition after a recent trip to Germany,” Trollip posted.

Meanwhile, it emerged on Tuesday that the DA and UDM were already in talks along with the United Front (UF), AIC, COPE and ACDP  — which, together, would make a majority in the council with a combined 63 seats out of 120.

None of the parties have made a definite decision yet as to how they will align themselves to form a new government.

But a decision will have to be made within the next two weeks, with a council meeting scheduled for January 30.