File
The Democratic Alliance once again brought its 'big guns' to Nelson Mandela Bay to woo voters ahead of the local government elections next Monday.
The party hosted its last election rally in the Bay in the hope of securing an outright majority.
A large group of supporters were ferried to the Fairview Sports Centre where the DA leadership encouraged them to go out in numbers to vote next Monday.
Party leader, John Steenhuisen, was flanked by federal chairperson, Helen Zille and the party's mayoral candidate, Nqaba Bhanga, as well as senior provincial officials.
Steenhuisen said the DA's growth during the 2016 local elections was amazing however, it still was not quite enough.
He said what followed was a disaster for the people of NMB.
"After two years under a DA coalition government, where every single aspect of delivery in this metro was turned around and cleaned up, where hundreds of millions of rands of corrupt tenders were cancelled and where real progress was made for the first time in decades, everything slid backwards again."
Steenhuisen said from 2018 until 2020 all the gains made here under the DA were reversed.
"The city ended up in massive debt again and crooked suppliers were given their contracts back. The coalition of corruption had opened the feeding trough once more and cadres started stuffing themselves again."
Speaking to the media, the DA leader said they needed need five years of uninterrupted governance in the Metro and must do better than in 2016.
"This time around we need to make our majority flip-flop-proof. We need to make our majority small-party proof. We need to make our majority ANC bribe-proof. That is why every single vote in next Monday's election is of such critical importance," Steenhuisen said.
