Dlamini-Zuma cracks whip on Nelson Mandela Bay instability

Minister of co-operative governance and traditional affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has given the Eastern Cape co-operative governance MEC seven days to report back on the instability in the Nelson Mandela Bay council.

Dlamini-Zuma said MEC Xolile Nqatha’s report must include time frames for the filling of the mayoral vacancy in the municipality. Acting mayor Thsonono Buyeye is in charge at present.

The minister’s instruction stemmed from a complaint she received from DA provincial leader Nqaba Bhanga about the prolonged nature of the mayoral vacancy.

The vacancy has persisted since December 5, when  Mongameli Bobani was ousted as mayor after a vote on a no-confidence motion brought by the DA. Deputy mayor Buyeye has been acting as mayor in the interim.

On Tuesday, Bhanga said council speaker Buyelwa Mafaya had accepted the DA’s petition calling for a special meeting to elect a new mayor.

In her letter to Nqatha, dated June 5, Dlamini-Zuma wrote: “You are hereby requested to urgently investigate matters raised by Cllr Bhanga and to thereafter provide me with a detailed report in this regard, within seven working days from the date of this letter.

“The report must include time frames to fill the mayoral vacancy in the municipality as well as measures to ensure this takes place within the prescripts relating to Covid-19 and to ensure that voting takes place by secret ballot, should there be more than one candidate nominated for the election.”

The provincial government is under pressure from both the DA and the ANC to intervene in the metro after a death threat was made against acting city manager Noxolo Nqwazi.

Nqwazi, who was removed from her position on Monday to give her time to recover from an accident she was involved in last week,  was replaced by director of housing delivery Mvuleni Mapu.

In a statement on Monday night, Buyeye confirmed that he had removed Nqwazi from her acting position and that her contract had expired on May 28.

However, the council passed a recommendation in December that Buyeye not be given the delegated executive authority to appoint a replacement, and that only the council could appoint an acting city boss.

Bhanga said in his letter to Dlamini-Zuma that the mayoral vacancy had created a vacuum in the leadership of the metro, which he described as unacceptable and untenable.

“It is our considered opinion that in the absence of an elected and accountable executive mayor, the institution lacks accountability, legitimacy and credibility.

“Despite the clear provisions of the legislation and the council rules of order, the speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay [Mafaya] has failed on numerous occasions to place the election of an executive mayor on the agenda of the municipality, despite peremptory provisions to do the same,” he said.

Bhanga said MEC Nqatha was aware of this and that the only interpretation was that he concurred with Mafaya’s inaction.

Bhanga said Mafaya had declared illegal a special council meeting in March called by the majority of councillors.

He said on the same day, the DA had made three separate attempts to hold another special sitting on March 27, but that Mafaya had refused to call the meeting.

Among the items the DA wants placed on the agenda are the removal of Mafaya and the election of a new speaker, the election of a new mayor, the removal of the deputy mayor and election of a new deputy, the removal of the chief whip and the appointment of a new mayoral committee.