Fired-up and feeling vindicated, Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Mongameli Bobani has vowed to sue mayor Athol Trollip after a forensic report on a contract with Milongani Eco-Consulting failed to link him to any wrongdoing.
The former deputy mayor said the question that now needed to be asked was why Trollip and DA leader Mmusi Maimane had “lied” to the public.
“From the outset I said I did nothing wrong,” he said.
Bobani was fired from the position of mayoral committee member for public health in May last year amid claims he had acted corruptly.
He later also lost his position as deputy mayor.
Although Trollip was not always specific on how Bobani had allegedly acted below board when it came to the seemingly corrupt Milongani tender, he had claimed payments to Milongani had happened under Bobani’s watch.
Trollip’s sentiments were publicly challenged by Bobani, who on numerous occasions demanded to see proof.
Maimane, meanwhile, was quoted as saying there was prima facie evidence of corruption against the UDM member.
While a comprehensive PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report has now shown how Milongani was a cash cow for R25.6-million of ratepayers’ money to be funnelled, Bobani is not mentioned in the findings.
“I will now be taking legal action against Trollip in his personal capacity, as well as Maimane and the DA. I will be suing them for millions for [defamation of character],” Bobani said yesterday.
Mayoral chief of staff Kristoff Adelbert, meanwhile, said that irregular payments had in fact been made to Milongani while Bobani held the position in public health.
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“When suspicion was first raised regarding this service provider [Milongani], the executive mayor requested councillor Bobani to ensure that all payments to the contractor ceased.
“However, numerous payments were processed thereafter,” Adelbert said.
Bobani’s lawyer, Lionel Trichardt, said he would discuss the PwC findings with his client this week.
“We will study the report. If summons is issued it will be for defamation of character. The allegations led to Mr Bobani being fired from his job,” Trichardt said.
Bobani added: “I have always said my hands are clean. I have never been corrupt in my 17 years as a councillor.”