Mettler hangs to his job by a thread
Opposition parties need 61 councillors present at the sitting
The Nelson Mandela Bay council will attempt to hold a meeting today which could decide the fate of city manager Johann Mettler.
However, it all depends on whether or not the ANC, EFF, UDM, United Front and African Independent Congress (AIC) are able to muster up a quorum to legally continue with its voluminous council agenda. The parties need 61 councillors present in the chamber for the meeting to be able to sit.
The DA and its coalition partners ACDP, Cope and Patriotic Alliance, said they will not attend the meeting as they regard speaker Buyelwa Mafaya – who sent out the invitation – as an illegitimate speaker.
However, former DA councillor Mbulelo Manyati on Thursday said he will attend the sitting as he believed he was still a councillor.
On the other hand, the DA replaced Manyati with a new recruit, Lutho Sokudela, on Thursday. Sokudela was sworn in by Mettler.
Manyati assisted the UDM, ANC, EFF, AIC and United Front in removing speaker Jonathan Lawack by abstaining from voting at last Monday’s dramatic council meeting.
Manyati’s attorney Eric Mabuza said they would challenge his replacement as they believed it was illegal. He said Manyati was still fighting the DA’s decision to terminate his membership.
Mettler said he had declared a vacancy with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). “My declaration was based on legal advice that I obtained. I also had interaction with the DA to satisfy myself with regards to the process that they followed,” Mettler said.
DA chairperson of the federal council James Selfe said the federal legal commission had invited Manyati to appear before the commission to make representations. However, he did not pitch at 1pm on August 29 – two days after the Monday council meeting.
“As far as we are concerned we have followed our own processes and Mr Manyati’s membership ceased. The IEC and the municipal manager have been informed,” Selfe said.
“We are confident that if Mr Manyati wishes to bring a challenge we will be able to successfully resist it.”
Mabuza said they have received an invitation too late and, as a result, he could not attend.
The IEC told Sowetan sister publication, The Herald, on Thursday afternoon the vacancy had been declared and Manyati’s position has since been filled.