Note to Editors: The following speech was delivered by the DA Eastern Cape Premier Candidate, Nqaba Bhanga, during a press conference at The Grand Hotel in Port Elizabeth.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, under the poor leadership of Executive Mayor, Cllr Mongameli Bobani, and his ANC-led coalition of corruption, is on the brink of total collapse.
The DA has therefore taken the decision, in the interests of the people, to table motions of no confidence in Mayor Bobani, the Speaker of Council, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, and the Chief Whip of Council, Cllr Bicks Ndoni.
The DA’s coalition partners, the ACDP and Cope, also tabled a motion of no confidence in Mayor Bobani. The DA, ACDP and Cope are united in collapsing the ANC-led coalition of corruption.
Mayor Bobani has recently been implicated in serious allegations of corruption regarding the Municipality’s Integrated Public Transport System (IPTS).
He is also the subject of a forensic investigation by the Hawks in terms of an alleged corrupt relationship with a local business man.
Cllr Bobani is also implicated in at least two instances of unlawful interference in the administration of the municipality. These include:
- A request that a moratorium be placed on all vacancies in the Economic Development, Tourism and Agriculture (EDTA) Directorate. This is currently being investigated by National Treasury.
- Allegedly contacting an official at Absa Bank in order to prevent the bank from issuing a bond of security requested by the City Manager.
All of these allegations prove that Cllr Bobani is unfit for his position and should be removed as soon as possible.
During the last couple of weeks we have seen the administration:
- Failing to render municipal accounts;
- Failing to timeously pay contractors and SMME’s;
- Failing to attend to increased service delivery backlogs. This includes attending to sewage spillages, water leaks and the removal of refuse, especially in townships and the Northern Areas;
- Continuously cancelling and postponing standing committee and mayoral committee meetings. This has resulted in Council not being able to pass much needed resolutions;
- Failing to provide political guidance and action regarding illegal land invasions in NMB;
- Failing to implement a tender that will see small co-ops in the Metro appointed to clean-up townships;
- Halting all pending disciplinary actions against officials;
- Failing to fill vacancies, even though no moratorium has been placed on the filling of positions.
The DA will, this week, also be laying criminal charges against Mayor Bobani, and his failing ANC-led coalition of corruption, after allegations of political interference in the awarding of contracts to SMMEs surfaced in the media.
I will also call on the Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, and Eastern Cape MEC for COGTA, Fikile Xasa, to intervene in terms of Section 154 of the Constitution. Mr John Mettler must immediately be reappointed as City Manager to try and ensure some form of stability, as a third acting City Manager has now been appointed since Mettler’s removal.
Only a DA government can root out crime and corruption, open fair access to real long-term jobs, speed up service delivery and build One South Africa for All.