Springboks top dithering councillors’ agenda

Nelson Mandela Bay councillors spent nearly an hour debating whether they should discuss the city’s process plan to get back into the  National Treasury’s good books.

The plan contains a host of ways to address the Treasury’s preconditions before it can recommend to finance minister Tito Mboweni to rescind the decision to claw back nearly R3bn from the metro.

Treasury had threatened to withhold grant funds meant to substitute the most destitute in the city for the remainder of the 2019/2020 because it believed the metro was failing to implement the recommendations of a forensic report on the bus system.

In an effort to prevent this from happening, city officials led by acting municipal manager Noxolo Nqwazi held a meeting with the Treasury in Pretoria.

At the meeting, Treasury deputy general Malijeng Ngqaleni gave the municipality eight conditions before it would withdraw the Section 216(2) notice given to the metro.

On Wednesday, the report was handed to councillors and some parties took issue with the fact that it was distributed at the meeting and not prior — something that council had previously agreed it would not accept.

Before tabling the report, EFF councillor Lukhanyo Mrara said officials did not take councillors seriously. .

“I'm worried about how serious officials are taking this. Let's postpone the meeting so that parties can go over the document properly,” Mrara said.

ANC councillor Gamalihleli Maqula said he took the 10-page document as a flyer and said council had resolved that no more flyers should be handed out during meetings.

“What are the implications with Treasury of not proceeding with the meeting?

“The person meant to compile the document, what are the reasons that we’re only getting the document now? We need consequence management,” he said.

ANC councillor Andile Lungisa said the fact that councillors received the report during the meeting were signs of a defective administration.

“This is an indication that’s there’s no capacity on the side of management ... This is not a light issue.

“Councillors should be given more time to read the document properly.

“Let’s reconvene the meeting later so we can deal with the document properly,” Lungisa said.

EFF councillor Amandlangawethu Madaka said he and no faith in acting city manager Noxolo Nqwazi.

“She’s undermining us councillors. This is her document. If she’s used to undermining the acting mayor [Thsonono Buyeye], she won’t undermine us,” Madaka said.

DA councillor Rano Kayser accused speaker Buyelwa Mafaya of not protecting Nqwazi from councillors’ verbal attacks.

“As you sit there and protect councillors, at some point you must protect her.

“It’s not right what is happening.

“Councillor Lungisa wants to stand here and pretend that he knows legislation.

“At some point we must also stand up and protect the administration.

“The document [council agenda] says the acting CM will make a presentation in council,” Kayser said.

Before starting with the agenda of the day, councillors were visited by some of the members of the Springbok rugby team.

Councillors rushed to Springbok captain Siya Kolisi’s side to take pictures with him.

Each party was given a turn to welcome the Springboks to the Bay before they went off on their tour to the northern areas and Uitenhage’s western areas.