Danny Jordaan’s “judgment let him down” when he accepted the position of mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro‚ the Congress of the People (Cope) said on Tuesday. “Danny is a very well-respected person in the country and particularly so in sports circles. He has worked assiduously and honestly to build a very good reputation over many years‚” said Cope spokesman Dwennis Bloem.“He stands to sacrifice that now.”The South African Football Association president’s appointment follows an intervention by senior African National Congress figures - including party secretary-general‚ Gwede Mantashe - who are visiting the region.He replaces 82-year-old Ben Fihla‚ who has been unable to unite the region and focus local government on delivery.“The ruling party allowed the infrastructure to collapse‚ service delivery to grind to a standstill‚ the roads to deteriorate and water supply to decline to a trickle‚” said Bloem. “Chaos rules there.”While Cope understands “that desperate times need desperate measures”‚ said Bloem‚ “the ruling party is mistaken in believing that by changing the mayor it will have altered the situation for the better in the administration”.“The problem‚ unfortunately‚ lies with the councillors of the ruling party and the personal agendas that they follow‚ he said.“The problem‚ therefore‚ is bigger than Danny can handle. The ruling party is handing him a poisoned chalice. If Danny is to have even a remote chance of success‚ he must have an utterly free hand to weed out the failed councillors. A cosmetic change will not suffice.”The ANC metro has been hamstrung by factional battles and is widely believed to be heading for an electoral defeat by the opposition DA in next year's local government elections.The ANC narrowly held onto the municipality in the 2011 local elections securing only 51.9% of the vote‚ dropping from 66.5% in 2006.It is set to face a steep challenge from opposition parties in next year’s municipal polls‚ with the DA‚ newcomers the Economic Freedom Fighters and the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa’s United Front all lining up to take on the governing party.Support for the DA grew from 24% in 2006 to 40% in 2011.“Cope‚ like other opposition parties‚ will work very hard to win support in the city for next year’s local government elections‚” said Bloem.“We know that Nelson Mandela Bay Metro will emerge as the very epicentre of the political earthquake that will shake a party that has abandoned and impoverished the people.“We promise to do our bit to contest every vote as fiercely as we can. The people of the city deserve better.”..