ANC councillors threatened ahead of Bay council meeting

Three ANC councillors were threatened with violence ahead of a Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting scheduled for Thursday.

The meeting was meant to debate a no-confidence motion against mayor Mongameli Bobani.

In an interview, Mafaya — who had called off the meeting at the eleventh hour citing concerns over councillors' safety — said two councillors were phoned while another was visited personally.

They were told they would be “dealt with” if they attended the sitting, Mafaya said.

She refused to disclose the names of the councillors, only saying two  were from the Champion Magalela cluster and another was in Motherwell.

Meanwhile, she has blamed the director in her office for sending out the incorrect information to councillors by saying the council meeting was cancelled following the advice from the police.

“I have just told my director that they got it wrong, the police did not say that. I, as a speaker, had been in consultation with the safety and security department.

“I was checking in on the security measures that I had requested from them about the meeting. They told me that everything is in place, even the public order police and SAPS is on board. But they cannot guarantee the safety of the councillors.

“I never said the police had advised me to cancel the meeting.

“When I  received the message that said the police has advised the speaker (which comes from the speaker’s office), I immediately called the director in the speaker’s office to say that the message that had been sent out was wrong because I have never met with SAPS.

“I sat with the safety and security of the municipality in respect of the safety of the councillors in the council chamber, the director got it wrong.

She said she had instructed the director to go to the police and correct his mistake.

“Apart from that, the threats the councillors received are from where the councillors reside of which we didn’t take measures, we did not anticipate that. We only focused on council.

Mafaya said the threats were not anonymous.

“The councillors were threatened personally they were told that you can go to council but you are coming back and we will deal with you,” Mafaya said.

Mafaya added that she had encouraged the councillors to open cases with the police.