MyPE

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Goodbye @AtholT, Hello @MongameliB – Time to Chuck all the Politicians Out

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I think we all agree that every single politician needs a wake up call and should be out of a job immediately. Not one appears to be actually worth the hard earned money that ratepayers are paying these vultures who spend 80% of their time on party politics and the rest on actual work for the benefit of the ratepayer. Not one has ever asked me how I would like him/her to vote on motions concerning my well being. Not one has even bothered to make him/herself known to me as my Ward Councillor. No neighbourhood forum meeting, no meet and greet, nothing, nada, niks, fokol…

In days gone by our Councillors occupied honorary positions – they were not paid for their time, only reimbursed for their direct expenses.

Methinks it is time to return to that situation and elect PEople who care and NOT money grabbing wanna be big shots with their eye on a big fat pay cheque and nothing else.

Hamba politicians, hamba!

Mongameli Bobani
Councillor Mongameli Bobani – New Executive Mayor

Today’s Motion of no Confidence in the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Council – Jonathan Lawack – squeaked through on one vote when DA councillor Victor Manyati opted not to toe the party line during a motion of no confidence in Lawack in the City council on Monday.

The motion was brought by the Economic Freedom Fighters and Speaker Jonathan Lawack was voted out by 60 votes to 59. A tie would have seen him remain in the position.

Manyati is not without controversy having appeared on fraud charges in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court on 26 October 2017. Mbulelo Victor Manyati was accused of colluding with his son as well as controversial Port Elizabeth doctor Lucky Swartbooi, to claim a life insurance policy taken out on someone after he had died.

The DA moved swiftly against Manyati and in a letter read by Municipal Manager, Johann Mettler, DA federal executive chairperson James Selfe indicated that the party terminated Manyati’s membership after he publicly stated he would be leaving the party. Mettler declared that Manyati, who was by then sitting among ANC councillors and not his DA colleagues, was not a councillor.

Upon this statement the councillors from the DA and its coalition partners – DA, Patriotic Alliance, African Christian Democratic Party and Cope – jumped up and danced, and proceeded to leave the chamber.

Mettler said there was no longer a quorum, so the meeting couldn’t continue, and left.

The opposition councillors stuck around, as they heard that Eastern Cape MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs Fikile Xasa sent an official to oversee the election of a speaker.

ANC councillor Buyelwa Mafaya was elected speaker and proceeded with a motion of no confidence in Trollip, brought by the EFF. Every councillor present supported it and Executive Mayor Athol Trollip was removed in absentia as mayor, Mongameli Bobani of the UDM (with one seat in Council) was nominated unopposed by the ANC’s Mvuzo Mbelekane and appointed the new Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay.

Bobani declared that he would proceed with appointing his new Mayoral committee starting with the AIC’s Tshono Buyeye who was then elected as the new deputy Executive mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay.

Today’s drama follows November 2017’s events wherein Lawack and Trollip survived motions of no confidence in them.

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Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.