Mpac chair defends stance on MBDA board

Nelson Mandela Bay’s municipal public accounts committee chair Phumza Tshanga has disputed that the committee overstepped its mandate in making decisions regarding the Mandela Bay Development Agency board.

Earlier this week, Patriotic Alliance councillor and economic development political head Marlon Daniels questioned the committee discussing and making recommendations regarding the disbanding of the MBDA board, an item he said was not even on the agenda for the committee’s meeting last week.

Tshanga has written to mayor Thsonono Buyeye, speaker Buyelwa Mafaya and acting city manager Mvuleni Mapu  to urge and caution Daniels on his use of the media to questions the committee’s mandate.

In the letter, she said Mpac had interrogated the annual report of the MBDA on July 14 and 16 as part of its oversight report preparation process.

“While interrogating the report, a section of the report entitled “MBDA Board Chairpersons Report” was of particular interest to the members of the Mpac.

“Upon the interrogation, councillors raised questions about the continued governance and control environment within the MBDA and whether any recommendations made by the Mpac would receive the support of the board of the MBDA, considering that there are question marks about the existence and legality of the MBDA’s board and the legality of the release of its chairperson.

“Under normal circumstances, the board of the MBDA would be invited to Mpac’s interrogation report.

“The current situation and uncertainty meant that Mpac chose not to invite the members of the board.

“However, as the political head of economic development, tourism and agriculture (EDTA), under whose ambit the MBDA falls, an invitation to our meeting was sent to the offices of Daniels on July 6.

“It was envisaged that councillor Daniels would be able to address any questions on the MBDA at large which would arise.

“Were councillor Daniels to have attended this meeting, where his presence was requested, he would have had the opportunity to raise any concerns he had about the Mpac deliberations.

“The first I am hearing about councillor Daniels’ dissatisfaction about the Mpac discussion is through the media.

“As of this morning, I have still not received any formal correspondence from councillor Daniels, as is alleged in this newspaper article.

“Mpac is not trying to interfere in this process, but the Mpac wishes to play an oversight role over the process to appoint a board.

“Mpac would like to know that all relevant legislation has been followed in releasing board members and appointing new members,” she wrote.

- HeraldLIVE