The man with an honours degree from the University of South Africa and several honorary doctor’s degrees from dimwitted universities – he is also seemingly playing ANC Mayor in Port Elizabeth (the ANC calls it the Nelson Mandela Metro) – Danny Jordaan, has been challenged by the DA to come out of hiding and debate the state of Nelson Mandela Bay.
The DA’s mayoral candidate, Athol Trollip, says he has challenged Jordaan on behalf of thousands of NMB residents who live in a daily struggle to get ahead, because their local government is failing them.
Trollop says that when he revealed that Jordaan had ditched a live national television debate against him by refusing to engage with the organisers, his office made out that there was nothing wrong with this act of hiding from the people. “So I extend another chance to the Mayor: Come out and debate your NMB record, your alleged involvement in the FIFA bribe scandal, and your very close allegiance to Jacob Zuma.”
In a trend of Zuma-styled unaccountability and elusiveness, Mayor Jordaan has ditched another important summit at the NMB Stadium, where the township economy and local economic development were due to be discussed. “Reinforcing that Jordaan is a part-time Mayor, it has been revealed that the Mayor’s absence at this event was as a result of him being in Johannesburg attending to SAFA responsibilities at a Motsepe Foundation event.”
Trollip says the people of Port Elizabeth deserve accountability and openness, which avoiding public debates and important meetings shows Jordaan shies away from. “So Jordaan, do you have the courage to debate?” asked Trollop.
Trollip said: “Yesterday’s one day visit to the Bay by former ‘interim’ Finance Minister and now COGTA Minister David van Rooyen, was followed by ridiculous claims that he was able to assess service delivery in Nelson Mandela Bay, after being in the Metro for 3 hours.
“I have criss crossed NMB over the past year and seen the lack of delivery in NMB. Widespread poverty, unemployment, undignified sanitation and thousands of bucket toilets, horrendous water losses, crumbling roads, dilapidating RDP houses and a Metro that is being taken backwards, by the ANC.
“There is no good governance story to tell here in Nelson Mandela Bay, but that seemingly won’t stop the ANC from pretending so.
“Real good governance starts with change and a new DA government, to see this Metro turned around.
“With immediate infrastructure upgrades, economic development that creates jobs, zero-tolerance on corruption and quality housing projects, Nelson Mandela Bay will quikcly rise to the top, just as Cape Town did after the DA took over.
“I am ready to debate Mayor Danny Jordaan on his record. Mr Mayor, will you come out of hiding?
“We are ready to govern in NMB. We are ready to change lives,” says Trollip.
