Coalition partners in Nelson Mandela Bay have closed ranks around mayor Mongameli Bobani, saying they will not support the DA’s bid to oust him.
The DA and ACDP have both submitted no-confidence motions in Bobani to be debated at the last council meeting of the year, on Tuesday.
The meeting will be held at the Nangoza Jebe Hall in New Brighton.
The motions by the DA and ACDP will be the second attempt in just over a month to remove Bobani.
Chief whip in council Bicks Ndoni and council speaker Buyelwa Mafaya also face noconfidence motions, from DA councillors Retief Odendaal and Rano Kayser, respectively.
The motions are based on an investigation into Bobani by the Hawks as well as allegations that he was interfering in the administration.
DA councillor Nqaba Bhanga’s motion states: “These are serious allegations of criminality. It is inherently crucial that the office of the executive mayor should not be occupied by an individual who does not bring said office, and by implication the metro, into serious disrepute as a result of [his] alleged involvement.
“In light of this we move that councillor Bobani be removed as executive mayor.
“The allegations are a serious indictment on the inability of councillor Bobani to act as a fit and proper executive mayor and raises the very real possibility of further criminal activity of soliciting payments from municipal contractors.”
The motions follow reports in The Herald that the Hawks were investigating allegations of corruption against Bobani, details of which are contained in an affidavit that accompanied the search warrant served on the mayor when his office was raided in October.
ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom’s motion reads: “On the 29 October, The Herald published a story on executive mayor councillor Bobani with the headline ‘Why the Hawks swooped on Bobani ’.
“The story dealt with an affidavit that was deposed by the Hawks priority crimes unit’s Captain Henk Fourie that alleged that councillor Bobani was paid seven payments over a period of a year totalling R664,000 from IPTS funds.
“It appears that councillor Bobani is a suspect and is under investigation for fraud, corruption and money laundering that is linked to the IPTS criminal case as there is [an] allegation levelled against him in the affidavit of Captain Fourie.
“Therefore, the ACDP moves that councillor Bobani be removed from [the] office of executive mayor.”
Bobani’s attorney, Danie Gouws, has previously said that Bobani was not a suspect.
Meanwhile, AIC councillor Thsonono Buyeye said the motions were based on allegations and that the DA had no real information.
“The motions are based on headlines by The Herald. Basically The Herald is now setting council agendas,” Buyeye said.
Buyeye said the DA had not approached the party either regionally or nationally to solicit its support.
EFF regional chair Ngawethu Madaka, whose party has submitted several motions of its own, said the DA was not clear because the party did not state who it wanted as Bobani’s replacement.
“Do they want [former Bay mayor Athol] Trollip back? They must tell us who they want, but regardless we won’t support their motion anyway.”
ANC councillor Andile Lungisa said it would never support any motion by the DA and that it would defend Bobani at the Nangoza Jebe Hall.
Other items to be discussed include the EFF’s motions for municipal properties to be leased to the previously disadvantaged and for the scrapping of historical debt for the poor.
Small business owners are expected to gather outside the council meeting after officials meant to approve work packages did not pitch for work last week.
The SMMEs are demanding to be given work, with officials instructed to approve the appointment of 600 SMMEs to clean drains at a cost of R18m.
Showing support for the SMMEs, Buyeye said the AIC fully supported the inclusion and participation of SMMEs, particularly those that are black-owned, in the mainstream economy of the city.
“As such, we are of the view that the municipality should, within legal prescripts, assist black small businesses to be ready and able to do business with the city.”
Lungisa said SMMEs were an important component of the economy.
“SMMEs are an integral part of the agenda of the ANC in Nelson Mandela Bay.
“We support the SMMEs, we support the participation of the SMMEs in the metro value chain and whole procurement processes.
“ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has emphasised the centrality and role of SMMEs in the country,” he said.