More work will be flowing to Nelson Mandela Bay SMMEs, mayor Mongameli Bobani vowed on Tuesday, as he urged a crowd of small business owners to be calm following the killing of Black Business Caucus leader Baba Ningi.
Ningi was one of two SMME owners gunned down in Port Elizabeth on Monday.
Bobani’s promise to the emotionally charged group comes as the R21m drain cleaning work packages debacle continues, with dozens of SMMEs still claiming they have yet to be paid.
“We will give you more work like any other contractor in the city.
“Nothing is going to change,” Bobani said to cheers from those gathered at the Port Elizabeth City Hall at midday.
“We want you to clean more drains. We want you to clean our townships. We owe you 30% of the work given to any contractor. You will get that work,” he said.
But Bobani also called on the SMME owners to stop the killings.
“Why are you killing each other? Calm down and put your weapons down. Let there be peace,” he said.
“If you have problems come talk to us so we can fix it.
“Please talk to us. Our doors are always open.”
Ningi, 48, was shot dead outside the Lifa and Mafa Butchery in Koyana Street, Zwide, at about 2pm.
Just six hours later, Nkululeko Gcakasi, 44, who owned Nubrightin Development Projects NPC and Sina and Nkuza Holdings, was shot several times in Tshiwula Street, New Brighton.
Bobani said the political leadership would continue to help the SMMEs following the death of Ningi.
“We must not forget our goal is to help businesses emerge in the city, but let there be peace,” he said.
“This is not the city of criminals. It is a city of peace. You have shown that. You did not retaliate.”
Bobani said he was still waiting for a report from the police to see if Ningi’s death was even linked to the December council decision, when hundreds of SMMEs were allocated their share of the R21m work packages.
“We hear that some suspect it is linked to the drain project.
“But we as a government are unapologetic for giving you the work. We owe it to you,” he said to more cheering.
“We don’t know why Ningi was killed.
“But please, please stop killing each other.
“There must be unity. We need peace and we must also let the police do their work.”
Bobani said he expected a full report on the drain-cleaning project next week, with corporate services portfolio head Makhi Feni saying that once it received a report from the economic development department it would know who had been paid and who had not.
The municipality used two Bay companies – Finecorp and JK Structures – which were already on its supply database and had existing contracts with the city for drain-cleaning work.
Finecorp and JK Structures then signed a cession on December 13 with Sholden Lukwe Construction and Mbumba Project Managers to manage and pay the SMMEs.
But dozens of SMME owners gathered at the Port Elizabeth City Hall and Uitenhage Town Hall early in January, claiming that some of them had yet to be paid.
A Facebook post was also circulated showing Ningi and a young girl flashing a large stack of cash, with SMME operators claiming he was living large while they were yet to be paid.
At the time, Ningi denied the claims, saying the picture was posted to Facebook before the drain-cleaning project had even been approved.
The SMME owners sang, danced and cheered throughout Bobani’s address on Tuesday, with some of them holding up a picture of Ningi.
Small business owner Joseph Mapu, 62, said he had come to hear Bobani speak as he thought more work would be offered.
“But I suspect our payment for cleaning the drains will now be delayed,” he said.
Hoesain Sali, 74, said: “We are shocked by Ningi’s death. We did not expect this.
“He looked after everybody equally. He was a good leader. “Everyone is in mourning.” Infrastructure and engineering political head Andile Lungisa called on the SMMEs to unite.
“Let’s work together. Let’s isolate nonsensical elements among ourselves,” he said.
“Let’s isolate thuggerism among ourselves.
“We are not like ice-cream that melts when it gets hot.
“Let us unite all communities of Nelson Mandela Bay.”
He said previously economic opportunities had been channelled towards only one section of the community but it was time for Africans to reap the benefits.
“SMMEs are in the national guideline that 30% of the work must be given to them. They are the focus.
“There is no specific amount allocated to the SMMEs but every contract issued by the municipality must go to them,” he said.
The policy adopted in council in 2018 stipulates that 30% of a project’s value should be awarded to SMMEs.
Of the 30%, half would be awarded to SMMEs from within the ward while the other 15% would be awarded to SMMEs from across the city.
Before Bobani’s midday address to the SMMEs, tempers flared at a municipal public accounts committee meeting as some councillors demanded to be told how payments to the SMMEs had been administered.
It boiled over into a screaming match between ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom and ANC councillor Ncediso Captain.
Grootboom accused the municipality of not taking the matter seriously.
“We have seen that people are dying over this because people were not paid.
“Someone needs to be held accountable,” Grootboom said.
He was also fuming over the failure by acting city manager Peter Neilson to respond to questions submitted to the committee around the payments to SMMEs.
“This was submitted three weeks ago, it is a serious matter,” Grootboom said.
“I sent the questions to the [acting] city manager. We are not taking this seriously.”
DA councillor Kabelo Mogatosi said he failed to understand why the questions had not been answered.
“Money has been paid and processes were followed.
“This is a simple thing and should be very simple to answer,” he said.
“Let’s not pretend we are concerned with what happened [on Monday] because we warned people about this.
“We told them that they need to follow due process, but we filled up [the Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton] and made promises – now there is a meltdown in the township, so they must account.”
Mogatosi said he was concerned that Bobani would make further promises to the SMME owners.
Neilson apologised for his failure to respond and said economic development executive director Anele Qaba would give a detailed report soon on what had transpired.
“[Qaba] has been instructed to work on a proper report that details how the payments were transacted from the time the council made the decision,” Neilson said.
Police spokesperson Captain Andre Beetge said there was a strong possibility that Gcakasi’s death was also linked to the municipal drain project.
“This has not been confirmed, but we have a strong suspicion,” he said.
Beetge said Gcakasi appeared to have been shot while sitting in his vehicle.
“There were several bullet holes through the windscreen of his vehicle.
“It looks like he tried to flee but was then shot again in the street,” he said. Police on patrol had gone to investigate after hearing gunshots.
“They then came across the body and vehicle in the street,” Beetge said.
Family and friends gathered at Gcakasi’s house did not want to comment. An unidentified man said the family was still in mourning.
Residents said they did not know why Gcakasi was in the area.
One resident, who declined to be named, said he had heard several shots being fired.
“After a while, I came outside and saw the body lying in the dirt,” he said.
“The vehicle was parked just behind the body. There was a lot of blood.
“I went back inside and locked my doors.”