DA meets UDM leader over Nelson Mandela Bay despite angry Trollip

The DA met UDM leader Bantu Holomisa on Thursday to discuss a possible remarriage in the beleaguered Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.

The meeting was confirmed by Holomisa.

The two parties previously co-governed in the hung municipality after the 2016 local government elections.

That was until a fallout between Trollip and his then deputy, the UDM's Mongameli Bobani, and a new alliance being formed in 2018 between the ANC, the UDM and the EFF to remove Trollip.

This opened space for Bobani to rise to the position of executive mayor.

Bobani, however, also had a fallout with his new friends in the ANC and EFF and was  voted out last year.

As the drama continues, the DA has now gone back to their old friends, the UDM, seeking to take over power once again in the metro.

“The UDM and the DA met today in Pretoria to talk about the possible future of coalition politics in SA; in particular where it concerns the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality,” said Holomisa.

“Various matters were discussed in terms of the principles that must be applied to take the work of this council forward. Both parties agreed that service delivery to the people of the NMB is of paramount importance.

“The UDM will take the discussion on coalition politics in the NMB and other municipalities to our structures for full consultation. The parties agreed to have more meetings going forward.”

After Holomisa met the DA, ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule also requested a meeting on the metro.

Holomisa said he will meet Magashule on January 21.