It’s about much more than the person at the top

As news broke that UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani had been voted out as Nelson Mandela Bay mayor, there was a proverbial sigh of relief across the city on Thursday. Let’s face it, Bobani was bad news. His rule ushered in unprecedented levels of administrative chaos and destruction in an already precarious municipality. The effects of a broken city were felt by all, far and wide, except perhaps those who benefited from his patronage network.

The brazenness with which he unilaterally made legally questionable and outright unethical decisions demonstrated a man who would have sunk the city just to stay in power.

After a number of attempts in recent months to oust him, on Thursday opposition councillors and some in his coalition government finally got their way.

Deputy mayor Thsonono Buyeye will hold the reins until council elects a new mayor in the New Year.

At the moment the most pressing question is how to restore some semblance of normalcy in the day-to-day running of the administration.

Central to this is the urgent appointment of efficient and qualified executive directors as well as a CFO to, hopefully, undo the mess created in each of the city’s departments.

As far as Bobani is concerned, though his ousting is a step in the right direction, we must, however, be mindful of two important things.

First, his removal is not the end of an accountability process that ought to happen as far as Bobani’s alleged dodgy deals are concerned.

It would be naive to believe that the removal of Bobani in itself automatically ushers in much-needed stability and an efficient administration in the metro.

Bobani was as much an enabler as he was a product of a rotten system of political patronage that will continue to exist beyond him, if it is not dealt with by those who have the power to do so.