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DA launches urgent application against NMB Speaker and CoGTA MEC

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Dear MyPE

The Democratic Alliance (DA) today submitted an urgent application in the Port Elizabeth High Court, to have the court compel the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Council, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, to call a council meeting.

This follows after letters served on the Speaker, as well as the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha, by our attorneys of record earlier this week, have gone unanswered.

The letter to Cllr Mafaya requested that she call an urgent council meeting for Monday next week (3 August 2020) to elect a new mayor, appoint a qualified and competent Acting City Manager and address the concerns of National Treasury. The meeting must also discuss the letter from MEC Nqatha to the self-styled “interim” Mayor, Cllr Thsonono Buyeye, wherein he states his intention of placing the Metro under administration.

The Speaker has, however, chosen to ignore our deadline for calling the meeting and informing all councillors. It is clear she has no intention to fulfil her legislative duties and feels nothing for the long-suffering residents of Nelson Mandela Bay.

The letter to MEC Nqatha requested clarity on what aspects of section 139(1) he intends taking with regards to placing the Metro under administration, as well as informing him of the letter to Cllr Mafaya.

The DA also set a deadline of 13:00 yesterday for the MEC to force the Speaker to call a special council meeting, if she failed to respond to our initial request. MEC Nqatha has missed this deadline.

We have now instructed our attorneys to approach the courts for relief, and will also be seeking punitive costs against the Speaker. The application is expected to be heard on 11 August, being the first available date.

The DA will continue to fight to save our City from the ANC-led coalition of corruption. We need to put a stop to the financial ruin and service delivery collapse that has ensued on their watch.

We will also not allow the provincial ANC government to illegally dissolve the council and use this opportunity to settle internal political disputes and, in so doing, allow another political faction to loot what’s left of the people’s money.

The DA remains committed to taking Nelson Mandela Bay forward again.

Regards

Cllr Nqaba Bhanga
DA EC Provincial Leader and NMB Mayoral Candidate

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