Letter | Coalition has negative impact on ratepayers

Observing the commotion in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro chambers on March 29 reminded me of Martin Luther King jnr’s books I have read, named Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community.

This temporary partnership called a coalition does not have any impact other than a negative one, on us, the ratepayers in Nelson Mandela Bay.

Never before has our municipality been so chaotic.

One does not have any other conclusion to make, than to acknowledge that the Nelson Mandela Bay administration has collapsed under the stewardship of Athol Trollip.

The question that should be asked is: who shares the same ideologies as the DA? What does the Patriotic Alliance stand for and where does it want to end up?

A coalition in the Bay is never going to work because it stems from a collective to “at all costs” oust the ANC.

It has no political directive, neither the will nor the aspirations of the electorate at heart.

My layman’s opinion is that before and when a coalition is considered, coalition members sit down or have an indaba to decide how a coalition is going to govern.

One’s sole vision should not be only to oust one party (the ANC), but also to have a clear mandate and goal of how such a government will govern.
Then such a coalition should also consult with its constituency to get the support to form such a coalition.

One needs carefully to listen to EFF leader Julius Malema when he speaks about whiteness and cutting the throat of Trollip – any literate person knows that he is referring to taking Trollip out of office.

When one listens to DA leader Mmusi Maimane stating that Malema is a blatant racist, any literate person knows that he is referring to keeping all other DA mayors in office.

What is unfolding in Nelson Mandela Bay and the Patriotic Alliance’s “noble” stance against Malema’s “racist” remarks have nothing to do with the betterment of the lives of the citizens of the metro.

It has everything to do with people ensuring elevated personal social standing and personal gain.

What powers will Marlon Daniels have as deputy mayor and how is he going to function with a boss like Trollip?

We must brace ourselves for another motion of no confidence in Trollip and, in the time prior to that, satisfy ourselves with the knowledge that our municipality will be chaotic day in and day out.

The DA and its coalition partners might survive this spell of motions of no confidence to dismantle the entire political leadership structure in Nelson Mandela Bay, but one cannot fail to note that there is a total bankruptcy of leadership within the DA in the metro. 

Christian Martin ANC MPL, Eastern Cape Legislature