Bobani’s R500m promise
Parties slam mayor for dangling projects carrot in front of SMMEs
Projects worth almost R500m will be flowing to SMMEs over the next three years, starting from November, Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani vowed on Friday.
His promise to hundreds of SMMEs at the Port Elizabeth City Hall comes less than a week after a majority of his coalition partners asked him to step down.
The ANC, DA, COPE, ACDP, EFF, AIC and PA all want Bobani out of the mayor’s chair.
His political foes claim he is using the SMMEs to safeguard his position as mayor.
The work he has promised includes 80 projects ranging from the upgrading of municipal offices to development of the city’s beachfront.
Some of the biggest projects from the 2019/2020 capital budget that SMMEs will get include:
● Bulk stormwater projects in New Brighton, Kwazakhele, Zwide and Blue Horizon Bay, totalling R12.5m;
● Stormwater improvements in Chatty, Colchester, Wells Estate, Greenbushes and Ikamvelihle, for R19m;
● R27m for the electrification of government houses;
● R30m to improve the city’s sewerage system;
● R10m for the construction of pavements; and
● R4.5m for the development of the Mendi Arts and Cultural Centre.
Bobani promised the SMMEs that they would get R169m for 2019, starting in November.
This will be followed by R143m in 2020 and, finally, R171m for the third year.
It is understood that the divvying up of projects is being done without the knowledge and approval of the city’s budget and treasury department, which is the custodian of the budget.
Bobani’s latest promise comes as dozens of SMMEs claim they were never paid for work done for a R21m SMME drain-cleaning project.
The project did not go through the normal supply chain management process and is said to have piqued the interest of the auditor-general’s office, which is busy auditing the city’s books for the 2018/2019 financial year.
The police believe the infighting among SMMEs over the drain-cleaning project sparked a spate of hit killings in the city from January.
Black Business Caucus leader Baba Ningi was one of several owners gunned down.
On Friday, hundreds of SMME owners queued outside the Port Elizabeth City Hall to write their details into a register after Bobani’s big promise to them.
One of them, Muuseleti Mabongo, said he was thrilled with the news.
“It has been a long time coming. We need to eat,” he said.
“We need to buy clothes for our children and get them registered for school.
“We need this money.” Another, Eddie Fortuin, said work was urgently needed for people in the northern areas.
“A lack of work is causing lots of problems,” he said.
“We need this work. It will help everyone.”
A small business owner who did not want to be named said Bobani had promised them hundreds of millions of rands’ worth of work.
“He promised us more than R100m every year for the next three years,” he said.
Bobani said later the law would be followed when dishing out the work to the SMMEs.
“We will not do anything outside of the law. The projects will be advertised,” he said.
The only difference, he said, was that acting city manager Nobuntu Mgogoshe would set up a special committee.
“That committee will sift through the applications and ensure they are above-board.
“The committee will specifically deal with this but everything will then go through supply chain [processes].”
Bobani said he wanted to see the SMMEs at various sites by November 1.
He said Mgogoshe would also ensure the supply chain committees sat for longer to deal with the workload.
“A competitive process will happen.
“We will reduce unemployment and provide people with skills.
“This is not just for Christmas. These people will be busy for the entire three years.
“We will bring people who have never benefited into the economy.”
Mgogoshe said normal supply chain processes would be followed.
“All the SMMEs will be scrutinised and [the] supply chain [department] will check if they are legit,” she said.
Bobani’s decision was harshly criticised by other political parties.
DA caucus leader Athol Trollip said Bobani was completely out of control.
“He does not understand the procurement processes.
“It is completely irregular. I really don’t think he will be around to fulfil this promise.”
Trollip said after Bobani’s
‘It is completely irregular. I really don’t think he will be around to fulfil this promise’ Athol Trollip DA CAUCUS LEADER
last promise to SMMEs, the city saw an unprecedented number of assassinations.
Economic development political head Marlon Daniels, who is a PA councillor, said Bobani was “deranged” and unfit to be mayor.
“He wants to come across as the messiah of the SMMEs, knowing he will be replaced.
“This is just political grandstanding,” he said.
“He is trying to lure the SMMEs into his corner.”
Daniels said he favoured empowering SMMEs, but this was not the right way to do it.
“We need to upskill the SMMEs.
“I have serious reservations about the reckless promises to the SMMEs.
“He will be the catalyst for this city burning for these reckless statements.” ANC regional co-ordinator Luyolo Nqakula said the party was not aware of the money promised to the SMMEs.
“We haven’t been told,” Nqakula said.
EFF regional chair Ngawethu Madaka said Bobani was using the SMMEs.
“He is trying to gain SMME support with the opinion that if they are on his side we won’t remove him, but we will,” Madaka said.
Madaka was also unaware of the promise made to the SMMEs.
A coalition partner, who declined to be named, said Bobani had told the crowd on Friday that the parties he governed with wanted him out because he wanted to give the SMMEs money.
“He told the crowd that if we remove him then the SMMEs won’t get the work,” he said.
ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said such a promise should have been approved by the council.
“The last approval of draincleaning resulted in the lives of many people [being lost] and more people weren’t paid.
“This is another project that will have a huge impact on the fiscus of the municipality and will have an impact on the coffers of the residents.
“He’s way out of control and it looks as if the ANC can’t control him.
“His decisions are not in the interest of the city.
“This is his way of paying people from the promises he made. It’s another way to loot and obviously we’ll never support it,” Grootboom said.