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The Democratic Alliance (DA) is by no means intimidated by the threat of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to table a motion of no confidence in the Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB), Athol Trollip.

The EFF needs to explain to the public why they will return NMB to the corrupt ANC, so helping the ANC to continue stealing and destroying services to the public. Nelson Mandela Bay Metro was the most corrupt metro in the country under the previous ANC government.

There was no money left for any services to the poor, or even for basic crime fighting, because of the scale of theft. The EFF’s decision to return the Metro to the ANC is indefensible, and shows how little they care for really improving the living conditions of poor people.

By their own admission, this is not about what is best for the people of the Metro, it is about their political hate campaign and their growing closeness to the ANC. They will be judged harshly by the voters for that decision.

Since the election, the DA-led coalition government has rooted out corruption and uncovered much of the ANC’s programme of wide-scale theft that left the Metro unable to deliver quality basic services.

So much good work has been done since the coalition government was elected. In the short time since the elections, we have managed to:

• Connect 12 000 residents to running water and toilets for the first time;
• Create 4 000  job opportunities;
• Make NMB safer by introducing a Metro Police Department;
• Stop officials from flying business and first class and
• Award 1 800 youth bursaries worth R34 million

The EFF’s decision to return the Metro to the corrupt ANC is ostensibly based on our support for land reform based on the Constitution as it is presently framed, rather than their call for chaotic and disastrous land expropriation without compensation. We will not budge on our position regarding expropriation without compensation.

The EFF’s policy will result in economic chaos that will leave people even poorer and worse off. It is insulting to black people. Under their plan, all South Africans will lose their property and will have to rent it back from the state. Even black people who have only just received state homes for the first time will lose them again.

The DA is committed to land reform that contributes to shared prosperity and a united, peaceful country. We believe firmly that the Constitution is no impediment to such land reform. It just requires a government that actually uses the Constitution, and commits itself to fully achieving meaningful reform. We need to stop corruption in land reform and change policy to allow people to be real owners of land. That’s why we are against any programme aimed at the seizure of private property.

Issued by DA