Nqaba Bhanga re-elected as Nelson Mandela Bay mayor

Eastern Cape DA leader Nqaba Bhanga was re-elected as Nelson Mandela Bay mayor on Thursday.

Bhanga received 62 votes out of a council of 119 councillors while his opponent, EFF councillor and the party’s regional chair Amandlangawethu Madaka received 57 votes.

The meeting comes after Port Elizabeth High Court acting judge Denzil Potgieter ordered council speaker Buyelwa Mafaya to ensure the meeting took place before Friday, with the election of a mayor the only item on the agenda.

Co-operative governance MEC Xolile Nqatha had dragged Bhanga and 14 others to court, challenging the legality of his election during a December 4 2020 council meeting.

The DA later proposed the rerun of the election as an out-of-court settlement deal.

Potgieter declared Bhanga’s election as mayor invalid, but suspended his invalidity using Section 172(1)(b) (ii) of the constitution.

Following his election after winning via secret ballot on Thursday, Bhanga promised to work with the residents and move the metro forward.

He said opportunities in the city would not be defined by the colour of someone’s skin or age.

With a cash injection from the National Treasury of more than R1bn, Bhanga promised to increase the city’s expenditure.

“Our expenditure is sitting at 31%,” he said.

“This money might be taken back because we spent a year fighting.

“We can’t change things in six months but we’ll try,” he said.

HeraldLIVE