Naziziphiwo Buso
The 'bloc' made up of small political parties making up the governing coalition in Nelson Mandela Bay says it's still intact.
This is despite the Northern Alliance pulling out of the coalition this week, ostensibly because its partners have not bought into a research project aimed at reducing load shedding for Bay residents.
SU Alternative Loadshedding Program
Energy expert Christo Nicholls from Stellenbosch University wants to pilot load containment and load limiting instead of load shedding for consumers.
Nicholls had previously presented to certain councillors in a virtual meeting explaining that he had the buy-in from 10 other municipalities around the country including the Dr Beyer’s Naude local municipality.
Among other things he explained that there will be a load-limiting device that would be attached to prepaid meters enabling excess users to be cut off.
He says industrial customers would be given a battery solution that would allow the municipality to comply with Eskom’s request for loadshedding, but without impacting trade.
Coalition partners speak
Freedom Front Plus leader and Coalition chairperson, Bill Harington told Algoa FM News that the 'bloc' had met in two marathon meetings to iron out matters.
Harrington says that the meeting on Tuesday morning had ruled that Van Niekerk would meet with the MMC of Electricity, ACDP Councillor Lance Grootboom, and Nicholls in order to bring the matter before the standing committee and later to Council.
“The NA expects that we follow through with this, as the chairperson of the coalition will ensure that these meetings happen. We are doing everything in our power to keep this coalition in government,” he said.
The United Democratic Movement's Yongama Sigebe says the issues raised by the NA were not farfetched, adding that sometimes local governments do not implement matters raised by smaller parties.
However, he also agreed with Harrington that the coalition remains intact.
“These issues always arise and we always go back to our coalition agreement to resolve issues,” he added.
GOOD Partly leader, Lawrence Troon, says tension is natural for coalitions. “We are intact and will sort this out,” he said.
ACDP’s Grootboom agreed to say that the matter was only a communication breakdown.
However, Van Niekerk, says the NA will no longer be part of the coalition unless they start listening to his party.
“We have previously been disappointed and we will not be forced to stay in the coalition if we are not heard. As of today- we are taking it item by item,” he added.
AIM's Khusta Jack and DA’s Retief Odendaal could not be reached for comment.
