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We are taking legal action to protect the interests of NMB residents

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Dear MyPE

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has written to the Speaker of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality requesting that she calls an urgent council meeting to elect an Executive Mayor, or face legal action.

Our decision follows on the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha, informing the self-styled “interim” Mayor, Cllr Tshonono Buyeye, that he intends placing the Metro under administration.

Senior leadership of the DA met last night and a decision was taken that we will revert to the courts in order to protect democracy and the interests of the people of Nelson Mandela Bay from an overzealous power grab by the province.

The bar is set very high for a provincial government to place a municipality under administration and must not be taken lightly. The province must prove that they have acted to support and service the municipality in the years and months leading up to this decision.

We are also mindful of the recent Tshwane judgement and will not allow the Bhisho government to cause even more chaos in our City. We have also noted with concern, MEC Nqatha’s premature comments that he will seek to dissolve the council. Any intervention into the administration of Nelson Mandela Bay must be solely for the purpose of stabilizing and supporting the metro administration.

I have requested that the Speaker, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, acts in the best interest of the residents of the Metro and that she calls the meeting to elect a Mayor and appoint a competent and qualified Acting City Manager on or before Tuesday. If Cllr Mafaya fails to do so, we will turn to the courts to force her to act.

MEC Nqatha highlights the ANC-led coalition of corruption’s inability and unwillingness to elect a Mayor, the appointment of the unqualified and incompetent Mvuleni Mapu as Acting City Manager, and National Treasury’s decision to withhold R800 million in grant funding as his reasons for levelling the threat of administration.

For months now the DA has been bringing the above issues to the attention of the Minister of COGTA, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and MEC Nqatha. The threat of administration could have been avoided had the province acted timeously to our repeated concerns.

I am making myself available as Mayoral Candidate and following the removal of Cllr Buyeye, Mapu and the ANC-led coalition of corruption, the DA will form a government that will give assurances to National Treasury in order to recover some of the withheld grant funding.

The ANC-led coalition of corruption is running the City like a crime syndicate in order to steal the people’s money.

The DA will fight to save the people of the City from the coalition of corruption and to bring back good governance and prosperity in order to move Nelson Mandela Bay forward again.

Regards

Cllr Nqaba Bhanga
DA Eastern Cape Provincial Leader

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