Earlier today the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Mongameli Bobani, issued a statement ‘clarifying’ his recent remarks at the New Brighton IDP meeting that 100% of the budget would now be channeled to the Northern Areas and Townships.
Below is a video and transcript of his utterances as a well as a copy of his statement – you be the judge and tell us if Mayor Bobani is standing close to the truth or lies.
The following video published on 17 September by Herald Live says: “The new political leadership in the Bay will channel the entire budget for the next financial year to the townships and northern areas – and should residents in the more affluent areas report a sewerage problem, head of infrastructure and engineering Andile Lungisa will be told to ignore it.”
The transcript appears below the video.
“[In the last budget]… we were saying that 80% of the money must come to you and they [the people in the white areas] can get 20% – now we are going to take all of it.”
“Things need to be changed, [for years] they have been getting 80% and you have always been the [underdog].”
“Now we are saying that they must not get anything, it’s time you are at the top, and we will not apologise for this.”
“We are going to do it!”
“They must also experience the smelly drains [as] we have been going through that the whole time.”
“If they report a burst drain we will tell Andile [Lungisa] not to go and rather attend to New Brighton.”
“As the [new] government comrades, that is what we plan to do.”
“When you bridge a gap, the one at the top must stop so that you can catch up.”
“But you not just going to catch up, you are going to pass them.”
In the official statement Mayor Bobani said:
“This was not a policy statement and I want to put the comment in context. It is my considered view that local governments exist for the purpose of providing basic services equally to all residents. Service delivery should always be improving, and excellent service delivery is my administration’s goal.”
“The Democratic Alliance, after it lost the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, has urged suburban residents to stop paying their rates and taxes. My comment was merely made to call their bluff. The city needs its ratepayers to be vigilant in paying their dues. I assure ratepayers that their money will be used strictly in accordance with the approved budget. I urge all the people of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, all the ratepayers, and all the residents, to unite behind a coalition government of a majority of elected representatives in improving service delivery equally for all, from the poorest communities to the most affluent communities.”
Editor: Dear Mayor Bobani – as a person of stature in our city people will believe what you say and hold you accountable. Your actions now place law abiding ratepayers in a major quandry as you are now pitching them against people that you have promised the world to and who do not have access to the internet and data to clarify/verify/investigate your purile utterances……
Alan Straton
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