MBDA legal battle averted

A POTENTIALLY lengthy legal battle between the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and four Mandela Bay Development Agency board members has been averted, as it emerged yesterday that an out-of-court settlement had been reached.

As part of the agreement, the municipality will foot the bill for the legal fees incurred by the four board members.

Last month, Port Elizabeth advocate Luvuyo Bono and businessmen Motse Mfuleni, Lucky Gosani and Samkelo Dlulane filed an urgent court application to stop the municipality from replacing them.

This was after they challenged the legality of the municipality’s decision to remove them.

The court granted an interim order preventing the city from replacing them on the board until the outcome of the full court case.

On April 21, acting city manager Johann Mettler confirmed that the municipality’s legal team was in discussions with representatives of the four to possibly settle the matter out of court. The following day, an agreement was signed.