Trollip threatens to share information about corruption

Former Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Mayor Athol Trollip says he will share information about corruption involving United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader and Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Mongameli Bobani.

Trollip says this is regarding the funding of a bi-election in 2016.

He has told the Cape Town Press Club that he found a lot of corruption when he took over as mayor in 2016.

Trollip was deposed as Mayor in September following a vote of no confidence.

His troubles started after he fell out with Bobani, who was then Deputy Mayor under a coalition government.

He says his ouster as Mayor will allow the resumption of the corruption which he had started to reverse.

“State Capture is at its worst and most ingrained at local government level. It happens at a level that you cannot even contemplate. Every time you read an article about what is happening with our State-owned Entities and you are horrified by that, please understand that every single contract that has been put out through supply chain management and through all the other processes or undermined and abrogated on a daily basis at local government level.”

He says he wrote several letters and held five meetings with UDM leader Bantu Holomisa where he outlined his problems with Bobani.

Trollip says he has now obtained information regarding how the UDM had funded a bi-election and will share this with the authorities.

“I will get to the bottom of who funded a campaign in NMB and I’ve received recently some very interesting information that I will share with the AG (Auditor General), the Hawks, Treasury and anybody else who comes,  Bantu Holomisa.”

Holomisa has, however, dismissed the allegations. He says he has told Trollip to take any information he has with the relevant authorities, but that he has failed to do so.

“Trollip, I think is not well in his head. He has raised these issues with me, with the UDM leadership and we said ‘you must investigate that.’  So, far he has failed. He has spent millions to a pay PWC to investigate Bobani’s corruption which he claimed that he was part of during the previous administration. Trollip had failed. So, what is he up to now? So, we still say to him move on. If you have information, hand it over to whomever.”

Trollip says given another chance, he will definitely go back to complete the work he started as Mayor. He says, however, that he does not see the new coalition government lasting long.

“The one thing about the DA, we are very good in opposition. I’ve spent 24 years in opposition. We now have a shot into the municipality and we have people in the news parity who will inform us on a daily basis about what’s going on. I don’t believe the new crowd is going to be there.”

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