Move to replace Van Niekerk gathers pace

The ANC’s coalition partners in Nelson Mandela Bay have given the green light for the party’s bid for the mayoral seat, which will see mayor Gary van Niekerk replaced.

This follows a meeting led by ANC Eastern Cape chair Oscar Mabuyane with the regional executive committee and caucus to push for control of the city’s top post.

The looming power shift comes with cracks emerging in the Bay coalition which played out during Thursday’s council meeting, boycotted by the EFF.

Nationally, the ANC agreed to work with the DA and other parties to form a government of national unity.

On Tuesday, the coalition in the Bay, made up of the ANC, NA, PA, EFF, AIC and the PAC met at the Noninzi Luzipho building to discuss the decision taken by the ANC’s provincial executive committee.

An insider said the ANC presented its position which was done by the government of local unity (GLU) chair and ANC deputy chair Siphiwo Tshaka.

“The ANC wants the mayorship position but won’t be working with the DA but rather the same political parties in the coalition.

“At the GLU, we listened to the presentation and then spoke to senior leaders of our parties and resolved to have another session.

“The ANC told us the DA approached them.

“We know any political party can approach another.

“But the ANC in the region does not have an appetite to work with the DA,” the insider said.

According to those who attended the meeting, Van Niekerk took the news well.

A second source said whether talks between the DA and ANC yielded results would depend on the higher structures and not the region.

Continuing, the insider said Van Niekerk spoke well during the meeting and said what must happen will happen.

“He said even if it comes as a motion of no confidence, he will not try to stop meetings or run away.

“He has no issues, he understands it was a political decision to have him there [as mayor] and a political decision to have him removed.

“He handled it well. There was no trying to fight it.

“He did not lobby us to say let’s stick together as the minority parties.

“The ANC was telling us and not asking us for permission,” he said.

A third said they understood the ANC’s national executive committee decided that where the party has a majority in hung councils, it should occupy the mayoral position.

“Many of us are not against that in principle.

“The reconfiguration of positions might be something that comes up,” the third insider said.

Tshaka confirmed later that the GLU had met on Tuesday where the region communicated the decision of the PEC.

“Our partners in the coalition took the news positively, understood it and accepted the decision.

“They proposed a smooth transition between this government and the next.

“We reported to the provincial leadership about the positive engagement.

“There is a point of anxiety and panic because everyone doesn’t know where they stand but we’ll wait for the next step from the province,” Tshaka said.

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