DA calls on members to apply for mayoral candidate post

With just a couple of weeks to go until political parties in Nelson Mandela Bay elect a new leadership for the city, the DA has urged its members to apply for its mayoral candidate post.

The DA, UDM, COPE, ACDP and United Front have petitioned council speaker Buyelwa Mafaya to hold a meeting on March 12 to elect a new mayor, deputy mayor, chief whip and speaker.

The Herald recently reported that DA Eastern Cape leader and MPL Nqaba Bhanga was a firm favourite from his party to return to the city.

It is, however, unclear at this stage if the party will have enough support to put a new government together as none of the parties has yet clinched a coalition deal.

Bhanga confirmed on Thursday that he was indeed in the running for the party’s mayoral candidate post as he had applied.

“I cannot speak any more on this as it would be a conflict because I have already applied, but the application is open to all our valid members,” he said.

Fellow MPL Retief Odendaal, who was initially expected to run for the position, said he was not applying for it and that he would be keen to support the “team” and which ever candidate the party chose.

The DA has its full 57 seats in councillors after filling the vacancies left by Athol Trollip and Koleka Ngumbela, who died in December.

They have been replaced by Gordon Sampson and Frans Swanepoel.

There has been much speculation about the names that parties would put forward for the DA’s mayoral candidate, but the party’s provincial chair, Andrew Whitfield, said integrity and honesty should be the strongest suits of the preferred candidate.

The deadline for the online submissions is Sunday March 1 and among the requirements is that the applicant be a registered voter in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Other requirements include a commitment to the DA’s principles and policies and a clear understanding of the party’s vision and values.

At present, the Bay is led by acting mayor Thsonono Buyeye, who stepped in after the ANC, DA, AIC, EFF, ACDP, COPE and Patriotic Alliance worked together to remove mayor Mongameli Bobani in December.

Whitfield said they had a responsibility to call for nominations for people who were committed to the city and wanted to serve as mayor.

“It goes without saying that we are looking for someone who will work towards turning around the misfortunes we have inherited under the coalition of corruption and what needs to happen is to implement a turnaround strategy that is committed to by all partners involved in any government that may be formed,” Whitfield said.