Former Bitou municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo was voted in to be Nelson Mandela Bay's new city manager during a late-night meeting on Thursday.
Ngoqo was given the nod by a majority of councillors after a motion of exigency to rescind the appointment of Noxolo Nqwazi as city manager was put to a vote.
The DA, ACDP and FF+ voted against the motion and Ngoqo's appointment while the ANC, EFF, DOP, UDM, AIC, PAC, GOOD and AIM supported both.
The Patriotic Alliance abstained.
The council also agreed that the allegations of financial misconduct contained in a SIU report be processed through legislated procedures as outlined in the local government disciplinary regulations for senior managers.
Nqwazi was implicated in the SIU’s final Covid-19 spending report that found several Nelson Mandela Bay companies were irregularly awarded contracts during the state of disaster.
Nqwazi had signed off on many of the contracts, which saw the municipality overcharged by millions of rand, according to the SIU.
This was also detailed in the motion brought by UDM councillor Luxolo Namete.
Namete's further asked the council to agree that the metro approaches the court for the declaratory order to set aside the “purported appointment of Nqwazi”.
Ngoqo was number two on the list of candidates who had been interviewed for the position of City manager.
Before Nqwazi's appointment, the municipality has not had a permanent city manager since the suspension of Johann Mettler in 2018.
While Nqwazi was the city manager, Anele Qaba is acting city manager in the Bay.
The court ordered the council to resolve the impasse.
On Friday Ngoqo declined to comment saying he was yet to receive a formal notice of his appointment from the municipality.
“This is the first I am hearing of this. I have been receiving messages from people but I have not received anything official from the municipality,” Ngoqo said.
Ngoqo resigned from Bitou in November after years of controversy over misconduct charges that led to several court cases.
HeraldLIVE
Nelson Mandela Bay council votes in new city manager
Image: Werner Hills
Former Bitou municipal manager Lonwabo Ngoqo was voted in to be Nelson Mandela Bay's new city manager during a late-night meeting on Thursday.
Ngoqo was given the nod by a majority of councillors after a motion of exigency to rescind the appointment of Noxolo Nqwazi as city manager was put to a vote.
The DA, ACDP and FF+ voted against the motion and Ngoqo's appointment while the ANC, EFF, DOP, UDM, AIC, PAC, GOOD and AIM supported both.
The Patriotic Alliance abstained.
The council also agreed that the allegations of financial misconduct contained in a SIU report be processed through legislated procedures as outlined in the local government disciplinary regulations for senior managers.
Nqwazi was implicated in the SIU’s final Covid-19 spending report that found several Nelson Mandela Bay companies were irregularly awarded contracts during the state of disaster.
Nqwazi had signed off on many of the contracts, which saw the municipality overcharged by millions of rand, according to the SIU.
This was also detailed in the motion brought by UDM councillor Luxolo Namete.
Namete's further asked the council to agree that the metro approaches the court for the declaratory order to set aside the “purported appointment of Nqwazi”.
Ngoqo was number two on the list of candidates who had been interviewed for the position of City manager.
Before Nqwazi's appointment, the municipality has not had a permanent city manager since the suspension of Johann Mettler in 2018.
While Nqwazi was the city manager, Anele Qaba is acting city manager in the Bay.
The court ordered the council to resolve the impasse.
On Friday Ngoqo declined to comment saying he was yet to receive a formal notice of his appointment from the municipality.
“This is the first I am hearing of this. I have been receiving messages from people but I have not received anything official from the municipality,” Ngoqo said.
Ngoqo resigned from Bitou in November after years of controversy over misconduct charges that led to several court cases.
HeraldLIVE
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