Holomisa, Olver lock horns over Bobani
Image: Gallo Images / Foto24 / Mary-Ann Palmer
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s contract with Mohlaleng Media was thrust into the spotlight again this weekend, this time by UDM leader Bantu Holomisa.
He took to social media to lash out at How to Steal a City author Crispian Olver, saying he may have personal ties with the company that pocketed more than R20-million from the metro.
Mohlaleng Media, a Johannesburg company, was given a multimillion-rand communications tender in 2015.
A year and-a-half into the contract, the city had given the firm carte blanche to spend as it pleased after lifting the cap on what was initially a R10-million tender.
Halfway into its contract, the firm had already spent R20.8 million, prompting new Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip to freeze the contract and launch a forensic inquiry.
On Friday, after posting an article about Bay UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani, Olver commented on Holomisa’s post on Twitter, saying “Bobani is deeply compromised and discredits your organisation, General”.
Image: Eugene Coetzee
Holomisa responded: “On which evidence do u claim “deeply compromised”.
In 9 references [to Bobani] in ur book u offered no criminal evidence.” Olver said Bobani was not referred to as “Mr50K” for nothing.
“Just follow the record of his council and committee interventions, casting aspersions on every effort at cleaning up administration and defending the most compromised of managers,” the author said.
The UDM leader said the How to Steal A City author was the compromised one. “Tell the nation what ur role in R10-million paid to Mohlaleng,” he said
“I’ll wait for your answer. Let’s see who is a main suspect between u & Bobani.”
In his book, Olver wrote that Mohlaleng Media’s Cheslyn Mostert had suggested they use municipal funds for political purposes by boosting former mayor Danny Jordaan’s profile prior to the local government elections.
