Joseph Chirume
Nelson Mandela Bay residents could be staring at another five years of disastrous services if what happened at today’s Council meeting is a barometer of the future performance of the Metro.
A sharp division emerged between ANC councillors and those from the DA and other small parties after acting City Manager, Anele Qaba postponed the Council meeting to Monday.
This is after Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Xolile Nqatha wrote a letter advising Qaba to postpone the meeting because his term had ended.
Nqatha said Qaba was appointed by the Council to act as municipal manager for three months which ended on 7 October.
“At the end of your acting period Executive Mayor Nqaba Bhanga extended your acting appointment without a council resolution,” he said.
“The appointment of an acting municipal manager is the exclusive power of the Municipal Council.”
Mkhuseli Jack of the Abantu Integrity Movement said this was disappointing.
“We would have thought that the ANC would champion service delivery to the people and bring stability to the Metro. This beginning is disturbing,” he said.
Qaba said the decision was taken after consultation with Cogta.
“It is a strategic decision. It is not a legal decision but just to ensure that these two pillars of government are not at loggerheads,” he said.
Former Deputy Mayor, Luxolo Namette of the UDM said the UDM wanted the meeting to proceed.
“Residents of NMBM have waited too long for service delivery. KwaNobuhle has no electricity. Residents of Motherwell have no water. We want the meeting to proceed,” he said.
Political parties said on Wednesday they were ready to proceed with the meeting, with the DA getting support from other parties to forge a coalition.
