Gunman confronts PE mayor Bobani at City Hall office

A Port Elizabeth man carrying a gun breezed through security and sat for hours in the corridors of City Hall, waiting for an opportunity to speak to mayor Mongameli Bobani.

When he finally got the chance, shortly after 4pm on Monday, he pulled out the gun and demanded that the municipality give him a house.

"When he walked into my office, he said 'Mr Mayor, I don't want you to be worried but I'm carrying a gun'," a shaken Bobani said.

"I laughed because I thought he was joking.

"And he showed me the gun – and it was a real gun."

But while he has vowed that security staff will be held accountable for leaving him exposed to threats on his life, Bobani has raised serious concerns about the lax state of security at all Nelson Mandela Bay municipal buildings, saying things had to be improved.

There are no metal detectors at the main door into City Hall, and the fingerprint technology and CCTV cameras have not been working for a few years.

At the city's main administration hub – the Lillian Diedericks Building – security checks are inconsistent as visitors only sign in sporadically.

There are also no metal detectors at the doors.

In December 2016, two men entered the building and pointed a gun at a corporate services official on the 12th floor.

They tied her up and demanded the new "expensive phones" that had been delivered earlier that day.

New cellphones and tablets worth R327,000 were stolen.

Meanwhile, on Monday the man – whom Bobani said had identified himself as an ex-soldier – sat for at least six hours outside of the mayor's office, where his bodyguards are usually seated.

Bobani said he did not take down the details of the man or report the matter to the police.

"I'm still shocked as to why he was showing me the gun. But he was demanding a house," he said.

"He said he was coming to the municipality time and time again without any progress.

"I told him he has to follow all necessary procedures before the matter can come to me.

"The man, whose home burnt to the ground in Central a few years ago, was apparently desperate for a home for himself and his wife.

"He was sitting there almost the whole day," Bobani said.

"He arrived in the morning, sat almost all day. People saw him there, undetected.

"When you make an appointment with the executive mayor and come to my office, obviously you need to be checked.

"But our security is really a challenge.

"There's no machine that can detect the person is carrying a weapon.

"Also, to check what you are carrying before you go to the mayor's office – there's nothing like that."

Asked where his bodyguards were at the time, Bobani said: "There is one that is always sitting in the foyer but they don't check if the person has a gun."

Bobani said he had immediately reported the incident to the municipality's acting director of security, Shadrack Sibiya, who then informed the bodyguards.

The municipality's CCTV system and network is plagued by constant disruptions and shutdowns, while the biometric fingerprint system to allow staff in and out of municipal buildings is no longer functioning.

This, after the municipality cut ties with Afrisec Strategic Solutions in 2016 and started legal action against the firm for R92m it believes it is owed.

The municipality is, however, pursuing an out-of-court settlement with Afrisec.

Bobani has been vocal in his belief that the metro should not have ended its contract with Afrisec.

Asked if his call for security to be beefed up was an attempt to get Afrisec back in business with the metro, Bobani said: "The matter of Afrisec is being handled by the administration. I don't know what's happening there.

"We cannot on our side interfere in the administrative processes.

"What is most important is that our security in our building must be improved.

"Not only for my office, but also those of MMCs [members of the mayoral committee].

"They're complaining that people are just coming into their offices without being checked.

"Sometimes they form queues outside their offices.

"This is a serious challenge that needs to be sorted out," he said.

Bobani said whoever was found to have not done their work properly must be held accountable.

The municipality's political head of safety and security, Litho Suka, said the security guards at City Hall had taken Bobani's security for granted.

"Because the environment was relaxed, I'm sure the security at the entrance was a bit relaxed and there was no search," he said.

"They took it for granted and yet they are supposed to check every person who is coming in and out of that building – in particular, to the mayor's office.

"I was a bit taken aback [by the incident].

"I am going to investigate that with the VIP protection and security, especially at the building of the mayor."

Over the last year, the municipality has insourced 672 security guards who were previously employed by private security firms.

It has since cancelled its contracts with M Secure (formerly Metro Security) and Fidelity.

None of the guards have uniforms or the necessary security equipment, a situation that Bobani has bemoaned.

This is being delayed by the city's supply chain management process.

Safety and security executive director Keith Meyer said the existing security system was "aged, not fully operational and there is no service provider appointed".

"A new approach is being undertaken following a safe city principle using smart technology," he said.

"This requires extensive consultation with many stakeholders and is currently under way.

"However, there are other interventions taking place to ensure the safety of employees and our political principles.

"I have instructed Mr Sibiya, the acting director of security, to convene an urgent meeting with his management to review and update the entrance and exit policy.

"The utilisation of metal detectors at certain doors will be implemented," Meyer said.