The DA and its coalition partners will survive the flurry of motions to dismantle the entire political leadership structure in Nelson Mandela Bay at Thursday’s all-important council meeting.

This was the message from speakers at the DA’s #SaveNMB rally in front of the Port Elizabeth City Hall on Wednesday.

Scores of DA supporters attended the #SaveNMB rally in support of Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip.

Trollip is facing a motion of no confidence on Thursday to be tabled by the EFF.

Trollip said the motion to remove him was proof that EFF leader Julius Malema was a man who changed his mind often.

“The reasons Malema put for removing me were undemocratic.

"Like a spoilt child when he didn't get his way in parliament with his mad motion that would cripple the economy‚ Malema said he would remove me based on my skin colour.

"We put a coalition together in two weeks and in that period we were also talking to the EFF and the EFF said they would not get involved but they would cooperate‚" Trollip said.

"They said they did not like us. “We have had various meetings with the EFF and my skin colour has not changed. The only thing that had changed was Julius Malema's mind‚" Trollip said.

"What he must know is that this dilutes the minds of his supporters‚" Trollip said.

"Our newest coalition partner the PA (Patriotic Alliance)‚ fortunately we have been in coalition with them before.

Trollip said at the time he did not accede to the PA's demands as the position was contested in a court case.

"All Julius Malema has is race; we will never say to them go ahead with your racism.

"We will not behave in a bad way when things don’t go our way tomorrow‚" Trollip said.

Trollip thanked residents that had been praying at Vuyisile Mini Square every night since last week.

DA Eastern Cape leader and Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Nqaba Bhanga said they would teach Malema a lesson on Thursday.

"Tomorrow is going to be an important day because we are going to teach Julius Malema a lesson that says ‘not in the name of Nelson Mandela’‚"

"We must tell Malema that we will not have people divide us on the basis of our skin. We have a new-born Eugene Terblanche‚

"Julius Malema must not think he runs South Africa because he runs the ANC‚ he runs the EFF; he doesn't run the DA‚ COPE‚ ACDP and PA‚" Bhanga said.

"Who is this Julius Malema? This is the same Julius Malema who said he would kill for a man who sold our country to the Guptas‚" Bhanga said.

DA provincial spokesman Mlindi Nhanha said they walked with God and no one would dare touch them on Thursday.

"When you don’t have manners‚ it is a reflection of how you are raised.

“Athol Trollip invited Julius Malema to come and hear for himself from you (the residents) why you don’t want the ANC in power‚" Nhanha said.

The large group of supporters donning DA T-shirts with posters on which was inscribed "Hands off Athol Trollip”‚ “Support Trollip” and the “A team" sang songs in support of Trollip.

Coalition partner the ACDP’s supporters were also in the crowd.

Other posters read: “Keep your hands off our Mayor."

Newly elected Eastern Cape DAWN chairwoman and councillor Georgina Faldtman also spoke at the event and said residents had voted the ANC out of office because they were fed up.

“Nobody said it's going to be easy. We did not promise to fix problems over night but we had something on our hands.

"On August 3‚ 2016‚ the people of this city gave us the mandate to govern‚” Faldtman said.

Faldtman read a list of what the DA claims to have achieved since coming into power in 2016.

ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said the coalition had so far been saved by a third party - God.

"Whenever there's a gathering like this‚ the people always shout ‘Amandla’ (power)‚ but I want to shout ‘amandla kaThixo (power of God)’.

"What happens when the power of the people is running out? We have to draw power from a different government which is God‚" Grootboom said.

"We came together today because we want to save Nelson Mandela Bay from slipping into the hands of the ANC; we don’t want this city to slip back into the hands of corrupt officials‚" Grootboom said.

"This city was stolen by the previous administration because some leaders were interested in looting the coffers of this centre‚" Grootboom said.

"We can’t give this city back to a corrupt ANC‚" Grootboom said.

"It is disturbing that the EFF wants to return the city back to the ANC. It is disturbing that their reasoning is because the mayor is a white man‚" Grootboom said.

"Tomorrow we are going to succeed in that motion‚ we will honour God‚" Grootboom said.