The DA’s newest and youngest councillor in Nelson Mandela Bay is unfazed by the political theatre unfolding in the council chamber.
Luvo Vimbani, 23, who was sworn in as a PR councillor on Friday, also said he believed there was no political instability in the city and that the party and its coalition partners ACDP and COPE were simply facing challenges that came with any coalition government.
Vimbani of Dutywa replaces Thobani Noqoli, who resigned last month to pursue a career in business.
The third-year development studies student who identifies as an activist said on Friday he hoped to add value to the DA caucus.
“My focus is to ensure that we are able to create jobs, which is the biggest problem that we have at the moment.”
Vimbani said the Bay’s apartheid spatial planning also concerned him,
“Safety is another issue of concern to me.
“Public transportation is also a big thing to me because of apartheid spatial planning which continues to lock people in townships and out of opportunities.”
Vimbani said he would use the opportunity of being a councillor to investigate solutions to these problems.
Vimbani’s swearing in comes days before the city council debates a motion of no confidence in mayor Athol Trollip.
Trollip’s detractors also submitted motions to remove speaker Jonathan Lawack, chief whip Werner Senekal and another motion is to rescind the decision to do away with the position of deputy mayor.
It is unclear as yet who opposition party bosses have chosen to replace Trollip should the motion succeed.
Party bosses from the UDM, UF, AIC, PA, EFF and ANC are to meet again this week to make a decision.
Their plans to oust Trollip hit a snag last week when the EFF threatened it would not participate if Marlon Daniels was the man chosen to replace Trollip.
This was followed by Lawack’s refusal to allow a special council sitting on Friday.
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