Chippa lashed over adviser

NELSON Mandela Bay's safety and security political head Thembinkosi Mafana is taking on his boss, deputy mayor Chippa Ngcolomba, questioning the appointment of Ngcolomba's special adviser, Likhaya Ngqezana.

In a scathing letter to city manager Mpilo Mbambisa on Friday, Mafana asks how a "friendly chat between two friends" translated to Nqgezana's secondment to the metro about 18 months ago.

Ngqezana was handpicked by Ngcolomba to be his special political strategist.

The letter follows months of speculation that Ngcolomba has fallen out of favour with his comrades and that all is not well at Florence Matomela House – the ANC's regional headquarters.

Mafana's letter comes four days after Ngqezana complained to Mbambisa that Mafana was discriminating against him by preventing him from parking at City Hall.

Tensions between the two over parking came to the fore last month when Ngqezana claimed a councillor was on a witch-hunt against him.

In the latest spat, Mafana said in the letter – dated December 5 and seen by The Herald – that Mbambisa should investigate the authenticity of Ngqezana's appointment. - Mkhululi Ndamase