Bobani vote off council agenda

● No-confidence motion mysteriously dropped from reprinted report

The motion of no confidence against Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani has mysteriously disappeared from Thursday’s council meeting agenda.

The motion was submitted by DA councillor Morne Steyn in August and is yet to be tabled and discussed in council.

On Monday, the motion was included in the acting city manager’s report in the council agenda, but in a reprinted version of the report distributed on Wednesday the document was nowhere to be found.

The matter was discussed at a multiparty whippery meeting between whips of the various political parties represented in council.

Councillors who attended the meeting on Wednesday morning said the matter was brought to the attention of speaker Buyelwa Mafaya, who allegedly told them she was unaware of it.

However, it states on the front page of the reprinted acting city manager’s report that the document was amended on Mafaya’s instruction.

DA deputy caucus leader in council Rano Kayser said parties at the meeting questioned the absence of the motion in the agenda.

“The agenda was not amended according to rule 12.2 of the Rules of Order, meaning the agenda was amended without the consultation of party whips.

“Mafaya said the replacement agenda was not sanctioned by her office or even that of the chief whip.

“The multiparty whippery, together with the speaker and chief whip, Bicks Ndoni, agreed that the replacement agenda would not be considered,” Kayser said.

EFF councillor Zilindile Vena said the speaker said she did not know about the changes made to the agenda.

“She knew the agenda that was previously circulated.

“We said the speaker has the right to amend an agenda in consultation with other parties.

“But we resolved that we do not [acknowledge] the reprinted report and would only consider the original agenda.”

Vena said the EFF had made it clear that it would not support any party, whether it be the ANC or DA.

“The only time we’ll act is to defend any changes people want to make to the administration,” Vena said.

ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said the first item he wanted council to deal with on Thursday was the removal of Bobani.

“We’re of the view that we need a strong CFO and executive directors but we won’t give the city that as long as Bobani is at the helm.

“We won’t help Bobani and [ANC councillor Andile]

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Other items on the agenda include a matter to rescind the council decision taken on February 28 extending the contracts of three executive directors on a month-to-month basis until the vacancies are filled.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the ANC’s Eastern Cape bosses urged all political parties in council to vote with their conscience.

ANC provincial secretary Lulama Ngcukayitobi said the party supported the call for a motion of no confidence against Bobani.

Branches of the ANC had previously refused to support any attempts for the ANC to work with the DA in ousting Bobani.

The EFF and the ANC previously removed their signatures from a petition that called for a special council meeting on November 4.

Should Thursday’s council meeting go ahead, and ANC councillors support the DA motion of no confidence in Bobani, it is likely to succeed.

Neither Mafaya nor Ndoni could be reached for comment.