'The DA is not ready to govern'

DA councillor Victor Manyathi says he will remain in the DA in order to make sure that the party doesn't govern.

Former mayor Athol Trollip has been ousted from the job through a no-confidence motion vote on Monday which also saw the city council Speaker Jonathan Lawack booted out.

The controversy began after Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Victor Manyathi’s shock refusal to join his DA counterparts in defence of Lawack. The council speaker was ousted in the motion supported by the ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters, UDM and United Front.

Speaking to Eusebius Mckaiser, Manyathi says he didn't plot against the DA.

All I know is that the DA has a policy that says you can use your own conscience and vote according to your conscience.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

Remember the story of De Lille, councillors in Cape Town did the very same thing to De Lille and they were never crucified.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

He adds that he totally disagrees with the notion that says he plotted against the DA.

I am still a member of DA but on those motions, I said I will not vote in favour of the DA. So it is not plotting.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

Manyathi says abstaining is equal to raising your hands and he chose not to raise his hands of the DA but in favour of the black caucus.

The DA is not ready to govern.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

A white man's culture is not the same as a black man's culture, black people in South Africa are in the majority.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

Trollip can speak Xhosa but it doesn't mean that he understands our cultures.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

There are leaks in the streets of PE and there is sewerage in the townships and it is not being attended to, that is why I didn't vote with the DA.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

READ: 'DA must just accept defeat' - Mongameli Bobani

Let me put it this way, white supremacy still exists within the DA and whites think that they are better that the blacks including Athol.
Victor Manyathi, DA councillor

He adds that he joined the DA thinking that he will make a change and he won't resign because he wants to make sure that the DA doesn't govern.

DA's Eastern Cape chairperson Andrew Whitfield also spoke to McKaiser and said Manyathi is a former councillor of the DA.

Also read: 'Trollip is out, everything was done within the framework of the law'

Former councillor Victor Manyathi received a letter of termination of membership yesterday and as far as we are concerned, we have ceased his membership.
Andrew Whitfield, DA's Eastern Cape chairperson

And that was on the basis of his public declaration stating that he is leaving the DA.
Andrew Whitfield, DA's Eastern Cape chairperson

He adds that as far as they are concerned Manyathi wasn't a counsellor once he had his membership terminated.

The United Democratic Movement (UDM)'s Mongameli Bobani also spoke to McKaiser and says the DA should answer as to why when they were in charge the residence of Nelson Mandela Bay didn't get services.

We as the collective opposition parties have been crying that they are failing to deliver services to the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.
Mongameli Bobani, newly elected Nelson Mandela Bay mayor

Listen below to the full interview:

This article first appeared on 702 : 'The DA is not ready to govern'