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Coalition Protects Van Niekerk

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Dear Editor

The Good Party is concerned over the continued postponement of Council meetings in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

A council meeting scheduled for the 28th of November, was originally moved to the 5th of December, and has now been pushed out further to the 12th of December 2024.

As GOOD, we believe these postponements are the ANC/EFF/AIM/DOP/NA and PAC coalition’s attempt to protect Deputy Mayor Gary Van Niekerk.

The Deputy Mayor is facing a DA-led motion of no confidence at the next sitting, a motion which we will support.

Van Nierkerk is under investigation by the Hawks for fraud and the contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act.

The charges relate to 2022. He had internal problems with his party, the Northern Alliance, which resulted in him not attending council for almost 6 months.

During his absence from council, Van Niekerk irregularly and directly sought a legal opinion despite being informed not to do so by the Acting Municipal Manager.

The Municipality was billed for the work and has been in a dispute for 2 years to recover the money.

A multi-party committee has already investigated the issue and found Gary Van Niekerk unanimously guilty of breaching the code of conduct.

The committee recommended Van Niekerk be removed or suspended from office; be issued a fine and reimburse money spent

Instead of an urgent sitting to remove or suspend Van Niekerk, the coalition are postponing it to keep their partner in a position of power.

In the Herald dated Tuesday 19th November 2024, Van Niekerk was quoted saying “He is going nowhere” and “I have already spoken to my coalition partners, and they said they won’t support this motion.”

It appears that the ANC is beholden to the NA’s Van Niekerk and that fraud and corruption will continue to flourish under this new coalition.

We call upon the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Zolile Williams to intervene and instruct the Speaker of council to call a Special Council meeting.

Van Niekerk should be suspended from all Council activities until the MEC has finalized his report on Councillor Van Niekerk and pending the outcome of the HAWKS investigation.

We need to show the Nelson Mandela Bay public that we are dealing with fraud and corruption in the municipality and taking the charges against van Niekerk seriously.

Regards

Lawrence Troon
GOOD: Councillor

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