Nelson Mandela Bay Speaker, Cllr Buyelwa Mafaya, has bowed to the ongoing pressure from the Democratic Alliance and has placed the election of an Executive Mayor on the agenda for the next Nelson Mandela Bay Council meeting, scheduled for 13 August.
Although the DA welcomes this decision, we will continue with our urgent application in the Port Elizabeth High Court, to be heard on 11 August.
Last week Friday, the DA launched an urgent application to have the court compel the Speaker to call a council meeting to elect a mayor, appoint a qualified and competent Acting City Manager and address the concerns of National Treasury.
The meeting must also discuss the letter from Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Xolile Nqatha, to the self-styled “interim” Mayor, Cllr Thsonono Buyeye, wherein he states his intention of placing the Metro under administration.
We will also be seeking punitive costs against the Speaker.
The DA will continue with the application, to ensure that all the issues we have highlighted are addressed in council, and to prohibit the Speaker from withdrawing these items from the agenda or postponing the Council meeting.
We will continue to fight to save our City from the ANC-led coalition of corruption.
The DA will also not allow the provincial ANC government to illegally dissolve the council and use this opportunity to loot what’s left in the City’s coffers – we remain committed to taking Nelson Mandela Bay forward again.