Democratic Alliance leader Mmusi Maimane says the DA realises that it has a fight on its hands to win the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro in next year's municipal elections.
Maimane was addressing thousands of DA supporters at the Donkin Memorial in the city centre on Saturday at the launch of provincial DA leader Athol Trollip's mayoral campaign.
Maimane said the ANC realised that they were under pressure in Nelson Mandela Bay and would be campaigning hard to keep the Metro - but that people had the right to vote for change.
Asked during a press conference after the launch if he would consider a coalition, Maimane said he was loathe to talk about coalitions and that the DA wants to see Trollip win the majority.
In his address, Trollip said the launch of his mayoral campaign marked the start of a new chapter for the Metro.
Trollip said he would be campaigning to stop the corruption that plagued the city and bring service delivery back - based on appointing individuals on their skill set rather than on their political connections.
He also promised to focus on crime and safety, pointing to the fact that the Metro currently had a full time Metro Police Chief employed at huge expense, but did not have a single metro police officer on the streets.
Trollip said he would be embarking on a visit of all 60 wards over the next sixty days to engage with the people directly and hear what the challenges are that are facing each ward.
He said he would be focusing on the most needy wards first.
