Why Lungisa turned on Bobani
Maverick ANC councillor shocks colleagues by joining vote to oust ally
Toe the party line or else.
This was the ultimatum from the ANC provincial leadership that prompted councillor Andile Lungisa to turn against his former ally Mongameli Bobani, four party insiders said.
Lungisa shocked many in council on Thursday when he joined his colleagues to vote out Bobani in a motion of no confidence brought by the opposition DA.
Until Thursday, the two were central figures that kept the ANC and UDM coalition pact intact, at times at odds with the other coalition partners, who wanted Bobani to go.
Insiders said Lungisa was summoned by the party leadership at least twice in the past nine days and told to fall in line with its decision to oust Bobani as mayor.
Should he defy the instruction, four insiders said, the party would discipline him.
According to the ANC constitution, a member of the party undergoing disciplinary proceedings or suspension is excluded from participating in any ANC-related activities, which includes standing for election to any position.
Had Lungisa defied the instruction and been disciplined, he might not have been able to stand for election for any position when the ANC holds its regional conference in March.
Lungisa denied having received such an ultimatum.
“I am a deployee of the ANC,” he said.
“I take my position from our own party. I am a member of the ANC.
“When the ANC has spoken on the matter, I’m a deployee, I follow what the ANC says on issues.
“I’m in government not based on my own invitation but I was deployed by the ANC.”
ANC provincial secretary
Lulama Ngcukayitobi said he would not comment on the ultimatum until Lungisa spoke about it first.
“Only then would we respond,” he said.
He said councillors were told to vote according to the party’s line.
“If that had not happened then we would’ve acted against the transgressors and they would have been disciplined according to the ANC’s constitution,” Ngcukayitobi said.
ANC regional task team coordinator Luyolo Nqakula said he could not wait to “pop” some champagne after Bobani was ousted.
“The ANC councillors must be applauded for showing character for saving and salvaging the institution,” he said.
“We are very proud of our councillors.
“We understand the implications of such a motion because they have been threatened a number of times.”
He said the party’s provincial executive committee (PEC) had made it clear that Bobani must go.
“They were very clear that they invoked councillors to vote with their conscience because it’s not a political issue.”
Earlier on Thursday, Bobani and UF councillor Mkhuseli Mtsila strongly protested against the motion of no confidence, even questioning why it was on the agenda.
“It should not be on the agenda. No-one knows about this motion,” Mtsila said, which led to dozens of councillors heckling him.
Bobani requested that Bay acting city manager Nobuntu Mpongwana investigate how the motion “found itself” on the agenda.
“Give her time to investigate this.
“People are in a rush to do this but they will regret it tomorrow,” Bobani said, requesting a short break.
He then went into the UDM caucus room with Mtsila and
Mpongwana. Returning after the short adjournment, Bobani, who had minutes earlier said he was confident he would remain in power until 2021, was then removed.
The majority of the parties — the DA, ANC, Patriotic Alliance, COPE, ACDP and AIC — voted in favour of DA councillor Morne Steyn’s motion.
Both the EFF and the United Front abstained from the vote.
While speaker Buyelwa Mafaya called for the next item on the agenda, Bobani slunk out of the chamber and sped off in the mayoral vehicle.
Bobani could not be reached for comment later.
A few minutes later,
Mpongwana stepped down, saying councillors had questioned her legitimacy.
In a letter addressed to the “executive mayor”, Mpongwana said she did this in the interest of the council.
“When I was approached to act as city manager, I willingly accepted the challenge, knowing it was going to be a daunting task,” she wrote.
“However, since it is clear that the council clearly has issues with me acting as city manager, I feel it prudent to do the honourable thing.”
During the marathon meeting, councillors voted for Anele Qaba (economic development),
Walter Shaidi (infrastructure and engineering), Noxolo Nqwazi (sport, recreation, arts and culture) and Mzwakhe Clay (municipal COO) to be reinstated as interim heads of the respective departments.
The four officials were sacked by Mpongwana on October 7. Qaba, Shaidi and Nqwazi walked into the city’s council chamber to cheers and applause.
It was immediately agreed by councillors that Nqwazi would take up the role as the new acting city manager.
During a confidential session, councillors made five crucial full-time appointments, which included Selwyn Thys as the new CFO.
Four more executive directors posts were filled on a fulltime basis.
These included Shaidi for infrastructure and engineering, Luvuyo Magalela for electricity and energy, Nqwazi for sport and recreation and Qaba for economic development.
Nqwazi remains as acting city manager while Johann Mettler is still on suspension.
Meanwhile, UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said Bobani was ousted because he refused to approve “favours”.
Holomisa responded to a news article on Twitter, saying: “It was clear that when he refused to approve favours demanded by some political party members he wouldn’t last.”
On his last day as a councillor in the metro, the DA’s Athol Trollip said he was appalled that it took so long to get rid of someone who had caused a lot of damage to the metro.
“I think a question still needs to be asked nationally in the political discourse why Bantu Holomisa of the UDM did not act against his deployee in this council who has done so much damage.
“Now that Bobani has been removed, I think we can start putting the people of this city first,” Trollip said.