Only a few weeks after the African National Congress lost the Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality to the ‘Blue’ of the Democratic Alliance, the city’s new mayor, Athol Trollip (third from left), participated in a very ‘Red’ occasion. While he did not make any statements, Trollip was nevertheless on hand to participate in the sod turning for a new automotive plant in the Coega Industrial Development Zone, not far from Port Elizabeth. Beijing Automotive Industrial Corporation, or BAIC, of China, has indicated that it, together with the Industrial Development Corporation, will invest an initial R4.5-billion to develop a plant capable of producing 50 000 passenger vehicles a year. BAIC’s ultimate ambition is to develop a plant that is able to assemble double that number, which will require an investment of R11-billion.