The EFF are forging ahead with their plans to take over government in Nelson Mandela Bay, with the party’s deputy president, Floyd Shivambu, touting the formation of a new government before the new financial year.
Shivambu was in Nelson Mandela Bay on Saturday to kick start the party’s regional mass voter registration campaigns in the Eastern Cape in preparation for the general elections in 2024.
While addressing EFF and community members in Ward 55, Motherwell, Shivambu said plans to usher in a new government in the Bay would be concluded in a month or two.
He said they wanted the ANC kept away from the mayor’s post because they were not in alliance.
“The ANC are not our friend and we will not have them as mayor under any circumstances,” he said.
“They must know that we are working to totally remove them from government and we are not in alliance with them.”
Shivambu said in all the municipalities where they participated, they first did a thorough analysis of the conditions that prevailed.
“We also assess our subjective capacity to provide government in the municipality” he said.
“Part of what we will do in Nelson Mandela Bay is to do an objective and subjective analysis of whether we can remove the DA, identify a minority party to take up mayorship and we participate in government.”
Shivambu said they needed to demonstrate to the people of the Bay what could be done for the entire Eastern Cape.
“We must assume responsibilities that will give us constant contact with the people and will change their living conditions.
“When we are given the responsibility to be part of government, we need to demonstrate to the people what we can do for the whole province.”
He said when the Eskom state of disaster was declared, president Cyril Ramaphosa had also indicated that cities would have to find ways to generate their own electricity and they would bring that to the Bay.
“Part of the non-negotiable responsibilities we will take in this city must speak to bringing electricity to the people because we have superior alternatives of what needs to be done.
“The ultimate destination is to take over government with an overwhelming and decisive majority of more than 66% of the people voting for the EFF.”
Shivambu said they also wanted to do away with current city manager Noxolo Nqwazi, whom he accused of bribing politicians.
“Whatever will be agreed upon as transitional measures must be without Nqwazi.”
Nqwazi said the allegations were baseless and unfounded.
“This is a blatant lie and merely a smear campaign.
“Any politician with these allegations has in law a responsibility to report to the police as soon as they become aware with evidence of such,” she said.
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