ANC Eastern Cape bosses support Bay intervention plans

The Eastern Cape government must investigate all acts of wrongdoing in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, the ANC's provincial bosses have instructed.

Following a provincial executive committee (PEC) meeting on Sunday, ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said the party supported a proposal by the MEC of Cogta Xolile Nqatha to intervene in the municipality.

This, he said in a statement, would bring about stability to the city.

Ngcukayitobi said the PEC had noted the recent developments in the metro that have negatively affected residents.

Last week, Cogta MEC Xolile Nqatha threatened to invoke section 139 (1) (c) of the constitution, dissolve the council and appoint an administrator to run the municipality.

In a letter sent last week Tuesday, Nqatha gave acting mayor Thsonono Buyeye seven days to explain why he should not place the city under administration.

Nqatha wants the council to elect a new mayor and replace Mvuleni Mapu as acting city manager, or he would appeal to the Eastern Cape government to support his proposal that the council be dissolved.

Ngcukayitobi said: "The meeting fully supports efforts by provincial government to restore stability and order in the administration of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

"The PEC further called on the provincial department of Cogta and Treasury to investigate all acts of wrongdoing in the municipality. It further called on government to speed up the implementation of remedial reports emanating from forensic investigations such as IPTS (integrated development transport system)".

The municipality has been sitting with the draft forensic report initiated by the National Treasury for more than four years.

Failure by the metro to act on a report on a forensic investigation into the IPTS, which uncovered alleged large-scale corruption, has resulted in National Treasury withholding the city equitable share for the last quarter of the 2019/2020 financial year as well as other grants.

Ngcukayitobi said the PEC had directed the ANC's Provincial Deployment Committee to expedite the process of deploying a new chief whip to lead the Bay ANC caucus in order to restore stability .

The position of ANC chief whip has been vacant following the death of Bicks Ndoni in January. ANC councillor Litho Suka has been acting in the position since.

Ngcukayitobi also directed relevant structures of the organisation to decisively act against ill-discipline by some ANC Councillors.