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Those elusive FOUR votes – how about Zanoxolo Wayile?

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With the official results announced by the IEC the number of seats per party in council is as follows: the DA has 57 seats, the ANC 50 seats, the EFF 6, UDM 2, AIC 1, UFEC 1, COPE 1, ACDP 1 and PA 1 for the total of 120 available in Council.

Father Christmas Wayile
Could ex-mayor Zanoxolo Wayile be the Father Christmas that gifts the magical votes needed by the DA?

Now it all boils down to simple numbers – in order to make any democratic decision the DA will need a simple majority of 61 YES votes. Which leaves the DA short of 4 votes.

In our modern day politics councillors vote according to the party line and not according to their hearts and minds.

So, this is why parties who have a marginal majority and need additional votes in order to make decisions enter into coalitions with other smaller parties.

Things now become murky as the party needing the votes is essentially asking the smaller party to suspend their party line in order to favour the larger party.

This is apparent when one hears EFF Party Leader using his position as king-maker and insisting that any coalition party the EFF supports must ascribe to the EFF’s economic manifesto – and not the other way around. Of course this cuts out a coalition with any other party and leaves the EFF in a precarious position. The EFF must remember that many people voted for them on the basis of; “The enemy of my enemy is my friend!”

BUT, here in Nelson Mandela Bay the DA need only to enter into coalition with the United Democratic Front (2 seats), Congress of the People (1 seat) and the African Christian Democratic Party (1 seat) – all parties that Athol Trollip has identified as being ‘in the crosshairs’ of negotiation.

I am surprised that the DA has not mentioned UFEC (The United Front of the Eastern Cape) – the party headed by former Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor, Zanoxolo Wayile – as one of it’s potential ‘partners’. Could this be because they will then be introducing a third mayoral candidate?

One wonders what it will cost the DA to ensure that they receive the required four additional votes for a majority?

ON THE OTHER HAND: If the ANC manage to form a coalition with the other 7 parties holding seats in Council ten they will have the additional support of 13 more seats and a clear majority of 63 votes. With some clever boxing the EFF could once again be the king-maker.

But the UDM has said categorically that they will not join with the ANC and COPE is already working alongside the DA so if those two decide to go with the DA and the rest support the ANC we could have a Council split evenly between the DA and ANC and HUNG in terms of voting.

Who was it that said he would rather live in interesting times?

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.