The Democratic Alliance says Nelson Mandela Bay will pay a hefty price because of councillors from other parties including the ANC who failed to pitch for a special council meeting on Friday.
Efforts by the DA and lone ACDP and COPE councillors, Lance Grootbom and Siyasanga Sijadu, to hold the meeting fell flat after six councillors who signed the petition for the meeting failed to show up.
The signatures of the ANC councillors as well as that of Patriotic Alliance councillor, Marlon Daniels, appeared on the petition which was sent to the media, supporting a DA motion to oust mayor, Mongameli Bobani, of the UDM.
Opposition parties in the Bay petitioned council Speaker, Buyelwa Mafaya earlier this week for a special council meeting on Friday where a motion of no confidence against Executive Mayor, Mongameli Bobani would have been tabled.
However, Mafaya rejected the request stating, in an email, that it did not constitute an emergency disaster.
Addressing the media after the failed council sitting, DA caucus leader, Athol Trollp, said the no-show will cost the city millions of rands, as the deadline for the metro to apply for a rollover of unspent funds is on the 31st of this month.
Trollip said that it was clear that the ANC, PA and other small parties were prepared to pay a price for Boban's leadership of the City.
"On the 31st of August we will lose our application for rollover of R500 m of unspent money in the city and it will potentially have the consequence of this city also losing up to R3 bn worth of equitable share allocations. That is the price tag of supporting this coalition", he said.
Meanwhile, Bobani called this move by the DA a desperate attempt for a comeback on Twitter adding " We remain unmoved and unshaken".
