The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) in the Eastern Cape condemns the unholy and unprincipled alliance forged by some ANC councillors in collaboration with our class enemies, mainly opposition parties in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan (NMBM) for the removal of the Mayor Zanoxolo Wayile, Speaker Maria Hermans and Municipal Manager Themba Hani.

During the proceedings of the Council meeting that was held last week Thursday 22 November 2012, some ANC elected Councillors flirted with and supported a motion of no confidence against Mayor Zanoxolo Wayile, Speaker Maria Hermans and Municipal Manger Themba Hani, as tabled by dejected political fraudsters and power-hungry alliance of Democratic Alliance (DA); Congress of the People (COPE) and United Democratic Movement (UDM).

The motion which was bound to give the opposition the much needed political ammunition and transfer electoral power by default failed to gain majority support. We view this as an unprecedented move taken by our deployed public representatives in the history of the ANC post-1994 democratic breakthrough.

As Numsa, we view this failed motion of no confidence against Mayor Wayile, Speaker Hermans and Municipal Manager Hani as part of the broader political offensive by a particular dominant faction within the ANC that wants to capture the Metro for its narrow and self-centred accumulation interests. This faction is prepared to auction the hard-own electoral power that the ANC enjoys to the enemy camp, particularly the opposition parties.

We call on the Alliance to decisively act against this alien and growing foreign behaviour which has a potential to plunge the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) into deeper political crisis and lead to electoral power being handed-over on a silver-platter to the opposition, particularly to the defenders of apartheid white privileges and class representatives of monopoly capital, the fascist Democratic Alliance (DA).

Furthermore, we call on the Alliance  to recall all the councillors that voted with the opposition, irrespective of their individual positions in the Regional Executive Committee (REC) with immediate effect. Their actions are a clear indication that they are not committed and loyal to the ANC and the people of the Metro who voted the ANC into power.

Failure to heed this call will put the Alliance at direct loggerheads with the people for failing to deliver on our electoral mandate and promises!