nqaba bhanga

Dear MyPE The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s inability to pay municipal workers their salaries for July highlights that the ANC-led coalition of corruption feels nothing for the struggles of workers and residents. During a time when the Covid-19 lockdown is wreaking havoc with our economy the non-payment of staff is simply unacceptable. I will, therefore, write to the Chief Financial Officer to request that he investigates this as a matter of urgency and gives feedback to … [Read more...] about NMB Chief Financial Officer must investigate non-payment of municipal workers

https://youtu.be/2Wg0-ZIs1yE Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) will be writing to the self-styled “interim” Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay, Cllr Tshonono Buyeye, to request an urgent audit of the number of bucket toilets still in use in the Metro. Today, 16 July 2020, I was joined by DA NMB Spokesperson for Infrastructure and Engineering, Cllr Masixole Zinto, and PE Northern Areas Constituency Chairperson, Cllr Rano Kayser, in conducting an oversight inspection at Vastrap, Port … [Read more...] about More than 1000 bucket toilets found in one community

Dear MyPE The ANC-led coalition of corruption has yet again shown that it feels nothing for the suffering poor residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay, by slashing its budget for Assistance to the Poor Programme (ATTP). Whilst other municipalities have been setting aside additional funding to assist the poor amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, Nelson Mandela Bay sees it fit to reduce spending on the poor. The amount budgeted for ATTP in the Metro’s 2020/2021 budget is now only half of what the … [Read more...] about Coalition of corruption feels nothing for NMB’s poverty stricken residents

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape wishes to state clearly that it does not support the call by Nelson Mandela Bay’s self-styled "interim" Mayor, Tshonono Buyeye, to intensify lockdown regulations in the Metro. “Interim” Mayor Buyeye’s call for a move back to Level 4 lockdown, seems to be more about preventing council from sitting to elect a permanent Executive Mayor in the Metro, than about addressing the Covid-19 pandemic. He is hell-bent on holding on to … [Read more...] about NMB ‘interim’ Mayor’s call to intensify lockdown a desperate move to hold on to power

Dear MyPE National Treasury has vindicated the Democratic Alliance (DA) stance that a permanent Executive Mayor must be elected in Nelson Mandela Bay in order for the Municipality to adopt a lawful budget and to not lose millions of rands in grant funding. This follows after the Metro’s unlawfully appointed and unqualified Acting City Manager, Mr Mvuleni Mapu, on 29 June 2020 received a letter from National Treasury stating that it considers it necessary to protect public funds by … [Read more...] about National Treasury vindicates DA’s stance on NMB Mayor and Acting City Manager

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance does not recognise the decisions taken during the deeply flawed and severely compromised Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting yesterday, and will, if necessary, seek legal advice. The ANC-led coalition of corruption and its deeply compromised and inept Speaker, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, once again showed the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay that they feel nothing for the rule of law or the Constitution, pushing through a budget under questionable circumstances … [Read more...] about Chaotic NMB council adopts unlawful budget and appoints unqualified acting City Manager

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance Eastern Cape, in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, is deeply saddened by the passing of one of its longstanding and respected colleagues, Councillor Lodewyk Gallant, who passed away yesterday. Lodewyk Gallant was a DA PR Councillor in Nelson Mandela Bay from 2016 and worked specifically in Ward 29. He will be remembered for his tireless fight against violence and unemployment in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth and his active participation in all … [Read more...] about RIP Cllr Lodewyk Gallant

Dear MyPE The Nelson Mandela Bay is on the verge of economic ruin, with a projected under-collection of R2,6 billion for the municipality in the 2020/21 financial year. This came to light in the Metro’s Covid-19 response plan that was presented to government’s Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Portfolio Committee. The City confirmed that under-collection is expected to reach R670 million for the 2019/2020 financial year. Adding to these woes is the fact that … [Read more...] about Billions of rands of under-collection projected for Nelson Mandela Bay

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) has requested the Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Nkoszana Dlamini-Zuma, to intervene and ensure that the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Council calls a special council meeting to elect an Executive Mayor. On 8 June 2020 a petition, signed by the majority of councillors, was served on the Speaker and receipt thereof was acknowledged. The petition was also served on the Speaker, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, via email. … [Read more...] about Minister Dlamini-Zuma must instruct NMB Speaker to call Special Council meeting

https://youtu.be/H3SFGCskPvE Dear MyPE Raw untreated sewage flowing directly into the Swartkops River and Estuary in Port Elizabeth is contributing to a massive ecological catastrophe that could see the total collapse of one of our most precious wildlife ecosystems. The Swartkops River Estuary is every bit as sensitive and unique as the ecosystem of the Knysna Lagoon and needs to be protected. Instead, we are currently presiding over the total destruction of this precious wildlife … [Read more...] about Swartkops River and Estuary Pollution a Foretaste of a Massive Ecological Catastrophe

Dear MyPE The draft budget for 2020/2021 and IDP for Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality was today, 15 June 2020, noted during a chaotic council meeting attended by an unlawfully appointed and unqualified Acting City Manager. The virtual council meeting was not attended by the Democratic Alliance (DA). However, Mr. Mvuleni Mapu was in attendance, in the capacity of Acting City Manager. Mapu was unlawfully installed in this position last week by Deputy Mayor, Cllr Tshonono Buyeye, after he … [Read more...] about NMB – The City With No Mayor and No City Manager

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape is committed to pioneering new and innovative ways of engaging the public on important issues in government. Yesterday, 11 June 2020, the DA made history by hosting the first-ever Virtual Town Hall meeting in the history of the Eastern Cape. This Virtual Town Meeting was broadcast live on Facebook, where I was joined by DA Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) Caucus Leader, Cllr Jonathan Lawack, DA NMB Spokesperson for Budget and Treasury, … [Read more...] about Eastern Cape breaks new ground with successful Virtual Town Hall Meeting

Dear MyPE On Monday, 8 June 2020, I led a DA delegation in conducting an oversight inspection at the Grassridge reservoirs, where an overflow is the cause of tens of millions of litres of potable water from the Nooitgedacht Water Scheme going to waste. The reservoirs are situated between Coega and Addo and consist of a smaller, operational reservoir and a larger reservoir that is still under construction. Over the last year the operational reservoir has overflown on numerous occasions, … [Read more...] about Millions of litres of Nooitgedacht water going to waste during NMB water crisis

Dear MyPE The Democratic Alliance condemns in the strongest terms, the blatant intimidation of acting city manager, Ms. Noxolo Nqwazi, and her subsequent unilateral removal from the position by illegal interim Mayor, Tshonono Buyeye. Ms. Nqwasi has allegedly been repeatedly threatened, reportedly due to her refusal to process dodgy tenders. The DA has reliably learned that the latest threat was received this morning, 8 June 2020, when Ms. Nqwazi found a threatening note on the … [Read more...] about Intimidation and unilateral removal of acting city manager condemned