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DA Claims Embarrassingly Misleading And Untrue

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[Listen to the EM, Gary van Niekerk talk about the Walmer Electrification Project]

 

Dear Editor

The claims made by the DA that they can provide stability to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is not just embarrassingly misleading, it also whitewashed them of complicity in dubious decisions that the Government of Local Unity had to clean up.

Retief Odendaal, never submitted a report to Council as required by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s anti-fraud and anti-corruption policy, following the arrest of the City Manager, Noxolo Nqwazi.

His indifference to following procedure, resulted in an individual, standing accused of crimes of dishonesty, making executive decisions regarding matters where she is an accused person. She also worked unhindered as the Accounting Officer, with a cloud hanging over her head.

This resulted in a decision to oppose the findings of a Special Investigative Unit report by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, that tainted the good name of the institution.

Since the DA was replaced as the governing party:

  1. Council approved the recommendation to suspend the City Manager pending disciplinary procedures against her. This process started and the hearing was postponed to September to enable the City Manager to defend herself in the Commercial Crimes Court.
  2. Mr Mandla George, Former Chief Operating Officer of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, has now been appointed as the Acting City Manager for six months to provide stability to the Office of the City Manager.
  3. The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality received an unqualified audit for the first time in thirteen years.
  4. We have been making great strides in reducing the turnaround time for applications from the private sector to invest in Nelson Mandela Bay.
  5. Private sector investments of hundreds of billion rands in direct and foreign investment have been announced by Hive Hydrogen South Africa, Volkswagen Africa Group and Stellantis amongst others, showcasing their vote of confidence in the region.
  6. We are well on our way to establish sister city agreements with other major African cities to improve Continental relations and cooperation.
  7. We hosted the 4th NECOM Demand Side Management Conference at the Boardwalk Hotel and Conference Centre where a R150 million grant from Eskom was announced for energy saving initiatives.
  8. National Treasury is working closely with the Budget and Treasury Directorate to improve our internal capacity to ensure seamless compliance and greater efficiency.
  9. We managed to efficiently manage one of the most severe flash floods in recent history and will be resettling displaced communities in suitable accommodation. Land has been identified and the electrification of bungalows in Walmer Township is continuing.
  10. The Government of Local Unity restored political stability. Regular and robust discussions take place regularly to ensure that we remain on track to build a Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality that we all can be proud of.
  11. We had the most successful cruise liner season.
  12. Continuous engagements with Transnet take place to improve the efficiency of our seaports and to get a process in place to move the Manganese Ore Storage Facility from the Port of Port Elizabeth to Ngqura.

This list is not exhaustive but covers salient points of the tremendous strides made since we took office on 26 May 2023.

Regards

Cllr Gary van Niekerk
Executive Mayor

The above was in answer to THIS release from the DA’s Retief Odendaal:

Urgent intervention needed as NMB crisis deepens

The current inept coalition government of Nelson Mandela Bay, with Mayor Gary van Niekerk at the helm, has crippled the Metro and is driving it toward bankruptcy. Basic services have ground to a halt, business confidence has plummeted, and hundreds of millions in grant funding remain unspent.

The residents of Nelson Mandela Bay are feeling the devastating impact of the political instability, policy uncertainty and lack of leadership under Mayor Van Niekerk. When businesses lose confidence and disinvest, people lose jobs, and in a province with the highest unemployment rate in the country, we can’t afford to lose any!

Despite already forfeiting R430 million in grant funding this financial year due to the municipality’s inability to spend its budgets, the Metro appears to have taken no decisive action to rectify the delays and spend the grant funding still available. To date, the Metro has only managed to spend 69% of its capital budget and risk forfeiting even more funding.

Although an Acting Municipal Manager, Mandla George, has been seconded to the City by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), the situation in the administration remains dire. There are currently at least six Executive Director vacancies. To make matters worse, the officials appointed as acting directors have exceeded the period allowed to fulfil the role. Any actions taken after their appointment as acting director expires can be deemed unlawful.

The electricity department is a significant concern, as severe mismanagement has resulted in a 250% increase in financial losses year-on-year, equating to R1,44 billion. The department’s rapid financial decline is a severe threat that can potentially bankrupt NMBM.

Nelson Mandela Bay is the engine room of the Eastern Cape. If we fail to get the Metro back on track, we will battle get the economy of the Eastern Cape, which is currently in recession, going again.

Political stability needs to be prioritised so that economic stability can be achieved. This is what creates an environment conducive to economic growth and job creation.
Against this backdrop, the Democratic Alliance (DA) will, over the next couple of weeks, approach the provincial and national departments of CoGTA, and the National Treasury regarding critical issues of governance failures. We will request several crucial government interventions to support and strengthen the Metro to manage its affairs.

As a first step to remedy the situation, I will write to the new Acting City Manager, George, advising him of the most pressing matters that require his attention.

The areas highlighted are:

  • Section 154 support in respect of key directorates such as Safety and Security, Electricity and Energy and Infrastructure and Engineering.
  • Fast tracking the filling of no less than six Section 57 employee vacancies.
  • Supporting and overhauling of the Supply Chain Management Directorate.
  • Addressing the corruption charges against the Executive Mayor Gary van Niekerk.
  • The removal of the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) board as per the advice from Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana.
  • The removal of Anele Qaba as MBDA CEO.
  • Turnaround plan for the Electricity and Energy department running at a R1,4 billion loss.
  • Addressing the dysfunctionality of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC).

The situation in Nelson Mandela Bay is dire, and the DA cannot stand back and allow this coalition government to collapse our Metro and deprive its residents of the services they deserve.

The DA is in your corner, fighting for you. Together, we can rescue Nelson Mandela Bay.

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Media Communications at Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Communications Department is responsible for communicating pertinent Municipal news from Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch. Municipality Contact Details. See more articles by NMB Communication's.