EFF forging ahead with bid to topple Trollip

The Economic Freedom Fighter’s plan to remove Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Metro mayor Athol Trollip is gathering steam.

The party filed its notice of motion to discuss the removal of Trollip last week, and this week, together with over 50 councillors, pushed for an urgent council meeting on March 29.

The notice of motion was filed by the EFF’s NMB caucus leader Zincedile Vena last week, while on Wednesday 62 councillors expressed in a petition their need to hold an urgent council meeting to move at least six motions which includes the removal of council speaker Jonathan Lawack, Trollip, chief whip Werner Senekal and the rest of his mayoral committee member.

EFF provincial convener Yazini Tetyana confirmed the notice of the motion had been before Trollip’s open letter to Malema, published on Monday, asking him to visit the Bay.

“We are now at the next step which is consultation with other political parties in the council who share the same sentiments as us to vote with us. We have consulted with the ANC but all those discussions have not been on a formal scale, however we are formalising them next week as we will be meeting with the ANC provincial leadership,” said Yazini.

Trollip’s stay in the mayoral seat has not been without challenges. Soon after forming, tensions arose in the coalition government between the DA and number of smaller parties, including the UDM.

Then deputy mayor UDM’s Mongameli Bobani and Trollip had a fallout with each blaming the other of bridging coalition agreements. Bobani was voted out of council in August last year and this position was dissolved.

In the petition by the majority councillors, the councillors also call for the deputy mayor position to be reinstated.

ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said they were ready to lead whenever the time arose.

The DA, through their provincial spokesman Mlindi Nhanha, confirmed that they had received the motion and the petition from the various parties.