The Democratic Alliance (DA) has submitted a motion of no confidence calling for the removal of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s Deputy Mayor, Gary van Niekerk.
Today, I submitted the motion to the Office of the Speaker, the ANC’s Eugene Johnson, stating that Van Niekerk is not fit and proper to hold the position of Deputy Mayor.
Our motion underscores that the four criminal charges against Van Niekerk, for which he is standing trial in the Gqeberha Commercial Crimes Court, have brought the municipality into disrepute, compromised good governance and contributed to poor service delivery. We also called for the immediate election of a new Deputy Mayor following Van Niekerk’s removal.
Included in our motion is also Van Niekerk’s empty and unlawful promise to the residents of the GroGro camp in Kragga Kamma Road that the municipality would buy a transformer at a cost of R7 million to provide them with temporary electricity.
Additionally, the motion highlights that in 2022, during Van Nierkerk’s tenure as Speaker, he facilitated the unlawful appointment of Dr Noxolo Nqwazi as City Manager. Van Niekerk allowed Council to proceed and appoint Nqwazi, even though the DA had left the meeting and there was no quorum.
If the Speaker will allow this motion to be debated, however, remains to be seen, as the ANC/EFF-led coalition government will stop at nothing to protect the highly compromised Van Niekerk.
During the Council meeting of 28 October, the Speaker unilaterally and unlawfully blocked the DA’s motion calling for disciplinary action against Van Niekerk and his referral to the Eastern Cape MEC of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Zolile Williams, for investigation and possible suspension.
Johnson had no authority or power to block this motion and the same applies to the motion we submitted today. The only criteria for the competency of a motion is that it be submitted timeously and that it complies with procedural format, meaning it must be signed by both the mover and the seconder.
We remain steadfast in our efforts to secure Van Niekerk’s removal as both Deputy Mayor and Councillor. The residents of Nelson Mandela Bay deserve better. Together we can get NMB working again.