DEMOCRATIC Alliance (DA) councillor Retief Odendaal has been elected the new mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality following a dramatic council sitting which lasted for 17 hours.
Odendaal went up against ANC councillor and council chief whip Wandisile Jikeka to replace Johnson, with the matter put to vote by a secret ballot.
He beat out by 60 to 59 votes.
Odendaal was first elected as a councillor in 2009 and served as the leader of the DA Caucus between 2014 and 2016.
Between 2016 and 2018 he served as the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Budget and Treasury and was instrumental in turning the metro’s finances around.
NMB Mayor Eugene Johnson was removed through a no-confidence motion by a multi-party coalition.
A total of 62 councillors voted in favour of Johnson’s removal while 58 voted against the ACDP-led motion.
In a media statement, the DA congratulated Odendaal on his election, saying the metro is now in safe hands.
The party said Odendaal and the multi-party coalition will now set about putting the metro on the path of good governance.
“We are united in our quest to ensure transparent governance, building the economy and the metro’s finances, creating jobs, delivering services and tackling the water crisis,” said Andrew Whitfield, DA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson.
“Nelson Mandela Bay can now be governed by a capable coalition government that will rebuild the municipality and set it on a new path towards a better future for all of the residents.”
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