NMB’s Bobani faces ejection for “refusing to sign-off dodgy tenders”

Nelson Mandela Bay Maor, Mongameli Bobani has downplayed the calls for him to step down as a ploy led by a group of coalition officials who are disgruntled about not getting their dodgy tenders signed off.

Mongameli Bobani on the chopping block

Mongameli Bobani was elected to replace the DA’s Athol Trollip, in 2018, through a concerted effort led by the UDM, in coalition with other opposition parties.

It seems, though, that the trust that was once placed in Mongameli Bobani has been broken.

According to reports, coalition parties, led by the ANC and EFF, have called for a council meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday, 17 October, to consider a motion to remove Mongameli Bobani.

NMB Mayor Mongameli Bobani says the reason coalition partners want to remove him as the Mayor, because he refused to give them tenders. 117 Councillors have petitioned the Speaker for a Special Council Meeting.#sabcnews pic.twitter.com/kQyRfBV3Jy

— The Instigator (@McebisiNgqina) October 8, 2019

Quoted in a Herald Live, the faction described the NBM mayor “a madman, a lunatic and a person without sense.”

Why is he in the firing line?

The urgency to remove Mongameli Bobani came after the mayor actioned a staff shuffle at the municipality. It is believed that Mongameli Bobani’s appointment of Nobuntu Mpongwana, the Deputy Director of Legal Services, to oversee the administration of the municipality, was a ploy to give three high-ranking officials the boot.

It is believed that, through the actions taken by Mpongwana, Bobani effectively:

• placed midlevel accountant, Karel Kramer in charge of NMB’s finances;
• fired the municipality’s chief executive, Mzwakhe Clay; and
• replaced three executive directors (Anele Qaba, Walter Shaidi and Noxolo Nqwazi) with his preferred trio.

His coalition partners have described the move as the dismantlement of the entire executive structure of the municipality.

“Bobani is a mad, madman. He’s a lunatic. He is a senseless man who has no reasonable sense. As a coalition partner, we were not consulted — and there is no justification for what he’s done.

“He’s hell-bent on collapsing the City. His behaviour is highly treasonous,” ANC’s Luyolo Nqakula exclaimed.

However, the mayor has clapped back at his accusers, claiming that what is really going on is that people are mad at him for not signing off on dodgy tenders.

This allegation has not been substantiated by actual proof. As brazen as the claims may be, they may not help Bobani keep his position since a total of 117 councillors have signed a petition for his removal.

Trollip has also chimed in on the situation, in support for his successor’s axing. He made it clear that, in the interest of the people, the DA would not back the notion to elect Bobani’s replacement from smaller parties.

“We want to get some sanity back on government,” he told Algoa FM.