The DA wants Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani to appear before the rules and ethics committee for alleged corruption and interfering in the administration.
Councillor Retief Odendaal has also asked that the council, on December 4, debate the alleged interference in tenders and jobs by roads and transport portfolio head Rose Daaminds.
If the DA gets its way, the matter will also be referred to the rules and ethics committee for further investigation and a decision on whether the pair should be sanctioned by the council.
Odendaal’s motions, both seconded by councillor Morne Steyn, follows reports in The Herald about how payments totalling R664,000 were allegedly made to Bobani from Heerkos Projects, a company accused of siphoning off money meant for the city’s public transport system.
Odendaal wants Bobani to answer about his alleged attempt to stop Absa from issuing a bond of security requested by suspended city manager Johann Mettler.
He also wants Bobani and Daaminds to be probed for allegedly interfering in the municipality’s administration.
Daaminds instructed that a moratorium be placed on jobs and tenders in her department.
City officials refused and the instructions were withdrawn.
Odendaal believes Bobani is behind the instruction.
Odendaal has written to speaker Buyelwa Mafaya and acting city manager Noxolo Nqwazi to bring the matter to the council’s attention.
In his letter, Odendaal claimed that Bobani had contravened the Municipal Systems Act and the municipality’s code of conduct.
Odendaal drew attention to recent media reports regarding unlawful interference in the administration of the municipality as well as allegations of corruption against Bobani.
“Noting that Bobani has recently been implicated in serious allegations of corruption in respect of the Integrated Public Transport System in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality.
“We further note that the mayor is subject to a forensic investigation by the Hawks in terms of which his alleged corrupt relationship with a local businessman is the subject of the investigation,” he wrote.
Odendaal said Bobani had also been implicated in at least two instances of interference.
“The aforementioned allegations of corruption and alleged unlawful interference in the administration are of a serious nature.
“Given the onus that is placed on the speaker and on council in respect to Section 13 of the code of conduct as well as the Municipal Finance Management Act, [it] is clear that the speaker has no choice but to refer the aforementioned matter to the rules and ethics committee and/or the MEC for co-operative governance and traditional affairs for urgent intervention,” Odendaal wrote.
Bobani did not respond to questions. Attempts to reach Daaminds for comment were unsuccessful.