Pieter Mulder, the former Freedom Front Plus leader, once accused Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip and the DA of being seized by "British colonial supremacy".
That was more than six years ago, when Trollip — who in 2011 was DA leader in the Eastern Cape and in Parliament — sent out an e-mail in error in which he likened the national chairman of a ratepayers’ association to an "a**hole" and "idiot".
It gets better. In the same e-mail, Trollip accused Afrikaans political parties of having Nazi tendencies — or something to that effect. This line in the e-mail prompted Mulder’s angry retort.
So indignant was Mulder that he accused Trollip of hate speech. There was talk of "consulting our lawyers", but not much came of that. It was a fascinating political fight to witness. However, it fizzled as quickly as it had flared up.
Jaap Kelder, the intended recipient of the e-mail, had raised Trollip’s ire by wagging his finger at Afrikaners who, to paraphrase his words, had turned their back on the culture and their community.
Trollip did not regret his verbal barbs and felt they were justified given Kelder’s provocative language but was remorseful about sending the e-mail to more people than he had initially intended.
At the time, the DA’s leadership described the e-mail as regrettable but pointed to the context in which it was sent.
In 2014, Trollip’s temper got the better of him again when he implied that Eastern Cape Premier Phumulo Masualle was a "liar and a cheat".
Masualle did not take kindly to Trollip’s words and the courts were approached to adjudicate. Trollip stood his ground for some time. But after much back and forth between him and the legislature, he eventually had to issue an apology in the Eastern Cape legislature.
The controversy stemmed from Trollip asking questions about funds intended for Nelson Mandela’s funeral and their mysterious movements. The fallout was contained before it could do any serious damage to Trollip. But its record remains.
In recent weeks, Trollip has been wrangling with the United Democratic Movement’s (UDM’s) Mongameli Bobani in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality council.
Trollip outmanoeuvred Bobani by successfully instituting a motion of no confidence in concert with the Patriotic Alliance. UDM leader Bantu Holomisa responded by saying that the DA, with which he is in coalition, was employing apartheid-era tactics and threatened urgent court action.
Bobani may have a case to answer. The elephant in the room, however, is the type of political animal Trollip resembles
Holomisa made good on his threat, but the High Court in Port Elizabeth did not see the urgency of the case. So, it’s back to the drawing board for the UDM.
The infighting between Trollip and Bobani is nothing new: this is vintage Trollip. Politically, he is not the compromising type and has over the years demonstrated that he will not back down from a fight, even when a tactical retreat is required.
It is only when the chips are down and he has exhausted himself, all avenues and has something to lose that he has tended to come around to salvage any damage caused.
At face value, the information in the public domain suggests that Bobani may have a case to answer. The elephant in the room, however, is the type of political animal Trollip resembles.
DA leader Mmusi Maimane will have to manage Trollip’s raging-bull demeanour if he wants his party to remain in government in the Bay — because his coalition partners won’t hesitate to jump ship to demonstrate their disdain for the mayor.
• Phillip is news editor
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