Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani has threatened legal action against The Herald if the newspaper does not provide evidence of the allegations contained in an article detailing why the Hawks raided his office.
An affidavit of a Hawks investigator, which formed the basis of a search warrant served on the mayor, lists seven payments totalling R664,000 which were allegedly made into Bobani’s account between March 2014 and May 2015 by a company accused of siphoning off money meant for the IPTS.
In a letter to The Herald editor Nwabisa Makunga on Wednesday, Bobani wrote: “I hereby request you to furnish me, per return of e-mail, with proof of the allegations in your possession.
“My request is only reasonable and fair, under the prevailing circumstances and having regard to the public interest in the matter, that the truth and veracity of the allegations in your article be tested.
“I await to hear from you soonest but no later than 7 days hereafter, failing which I shall proceed with legal steps, without further notice.”
Makunga responded: “Please be advised that we have no obligation whatsoever to hand over to you the requested documents.
“You are more than welcome to exercise your rights as indicated in your e-mail.”