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Councilors to boycott illegal council meeting

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The Democratic Alliance received notification from the Executive Mayor, Cllr Benson Fihla, calling for a special meeting of the Nelson Mandela Bay Council to be held on Mandela Day, Thursday 18 July.

The Democratic Alliance will not be attending this Special Council Meeting as it has been called in contravention of the Council Rules of Order. The authority to call a meeting of Council is vested in the Office of the Speaker of Council, not the Executive Mayor and the meeting is therefore illegal. Any decisions taken at the Council Meeting on Thursday will be illegal.

Furthermore the only item on the agenda refers to the appointment of Ms Lineo Nkanjeni as Acting City Manager. This item seeks council’s rubber stamp for her appointment without providing a CV that communicates her qualifications for the job. It is also concerning to note that Ms Nkanjeni’s husband is currently the subject of an investigation for contravention of Supply Chain Management processes.

This attempt by the Executive Mayor to override the authority of the Speaker highlights the enduring political divide within the ANC that continues to undermine service delivery in our Metro. The manner in which the meeting has been called and the nature of the item on the agenda represent a highly irregular state of affairs that exposes the desperation of some in the ANC to continue protecting the interests of their cronies rather than representing the interests of the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.

Instead of calling us to a special council meeting to appoint an acting city manager, the Executive Mayor, Cllr Benson Fihla should rather tell us where the City Manager is and what he is doing to get her to return to office.

While the ANC tries to quorate an illegal meeting on Mandela Day, the Democratic Alliance will be committing itself to a number of community service activities across the Metro in tribute to the father of our nation, Nelson Mandela.

Cllr Leon De Villiers

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