The Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams wants to replace the Executive Mayoral System with the Ward Participatory System in the Nelson Mandela metropolitan municipality, but new mayor, Retief Odendaal, says he will fight it.

According to Williams, this follows the instability around service delivery and worrisome political changes in Council.

In the mayoral system, executive powers are vested in a mayor elected by the council. The mayor may appoint a committee to whose members he or she may delegate particular responsibilities.

A ward participatory system is where the executive powers lie with the portfolio committee and not with the executive mayor. In this regard, the mayor has no power to appoint.

The Democratic Alliance’s Odendaal was elected the new mayor following the removal of the African National Congress-led coalition government's mayor Eugene Johnson.

“The abrupt political changes do not translate into quick service delivery to the residents of Gqeberha. Although this is a democratic process for political parties to change allegiances, this should not subordinate the interests of the people of Gqeberha at the altar of subjective political interests,” said Williams.

He believes that the amendment of Section 12 of the Municipal Structures Act 117 of 1998 in respect of the Metro is the "only solution that may bring about stability to the municipality".

He said the amendment was not aimed at advantaging any political party but was an attempt to have a functional Municipal Council.

“My main concern is more about the capacity of the municipality to deliver services to the people. For now, it is difficult to be certain whether services are being delivered seamlessly due to political parties looking at their own interests…,” Williams said.

Meanwhile, Odendaal will fight to stop Williams from scrapping the mayoral executive system.

He said the MEC would not be allowed to cause chaos in the city and added that changing the system of governance a year after the local government elections would cause havoc in the administration.

“The MEC has no choice but to engage with us to find an amicable decision because we need a stable government, and we won’t allow even the MEC to disgruntle that. Our key focus should be on bringing services to our people as it has come to a halt. We need to get Nelson Mandela Bay working again. I will handle the administrative issues,” Odendaal said.