“We are not going anywhere.”
This was the bold statement from coalition partners in Nelson Mandela Bay in response to questions about a purported motion of no confidence to be tabled at next week's council meeting.
The statement was made by council speaker of the Northern Alliance, Gary van Niekerk, at a press briefing on Wednesday.
The party representatives told journalists that their coalition would last for the entire five-year period.
Their statements followed news reports that the ACDP and FF Plus were lobbying opposition parties to table a motion of no confidence in mayor Eugene Johnson.
This, it was reported, was based on the Bay's water crisis and slow response to water leaks.
The ACDP have a combined three seats and would need the backing of other parties for the motion to be tabled in council. The motion would require the support of parties with a combined 58 seats for it to succeed.
On Wednesday, ANC regional co-ordinator Luyolo Nqakula described the motion as “frivolous”.
“This motion is not the last one; we are sure there will be many others but we are not scared and we will deal with it when it goes to council.”
He also read the coalition agreement signed by the parties.
But Van Niekerk said his office had not received a petition to have the motion included in the agenda for next week’s council meeting. He said he had received calls about the motion but nothing had come to his office.
“We have heard about this purported motion but we are of the view that it is comical to say the least,” Van Niekerk said.
AIC councillor Thsonono Buyeye said he was aware that the motion was based on the water crisis in the metro.
“Placing the water crisis solely at the door of the mayor cannot be fair. We have seen the basis of the motion and it’s the water crisis. The water mitigation plans are available, the weather forecast is known but to use this as a basis of a motion is quite comical,” Buyeye said.
The coalition comprises the ANC, NA, AIM,DOP, GOOD,UDM, PAC, and AIC.
The parties said issues of administration would be outlined in a press briefing for the mayoral committee. Johnson was not at the briefing.
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