As bay council tensions simmer, cracks tear apart city’s ‘black caucus’

The cracks in the “black caucus” are getting bigger and it is only a matter of time before the coalition government in charge of Nelson Mandela Bay collapses.

This is according to COPE councillor Siyasanga Sijadu, who was reacting to the abrupt cancellation of a council meeting on Tuesday that was meant to see an acting city manager appointed.

“That house of cards is starting to crumble.

“The black caucus has cracks and it showed,” Sijadu said.

“It will be interesting to see how they will now try hold onto power and what corrupt tactics they will use to mend their broken relationship.”

The DA, together with the Patriotic Alliance, United Front, ACDP and COPE, was hoping to use their numbers to also push through the election of a new mayor, though the item was not on the council agenda for discussion.

Over the weekend, the UF, PA and DA discussed a possible regime change in the city.

The UF and PA are still, at this point, part of the black caucus.

Together, the UF, DA and PA have a combined 59 seats out of a council of 120 seats.

The DA usually enjoys the support of the ACDP and COPE, which have a seat each.

The coalition government — often referred to as the “black caucus” — is made up of the ANC, UF, PA, UDM and AIC.

At a media conference — scheduled for the same time as the council meeting which was closed to the media and public — United Front provincial secretary Lungile Mxube said the party would never enter into another coalition agreement with the ANC.

“There’s no going back,” he said.

“We have taken a decision to not entertain any coalition talks with the ANC.

“We are fed up with ANC’s arrogance. We are gatvol [fed up].”

Mxube said the UF was in talks with the DA, UDM, ACDP and COPE, and more details would be given in two weeks.

Speaker Buyelwa Mafaya, who could not be reached for comment, cancelled the meeting shortly before midday, saying she had failed to give councillors adequate notice about the sitting.

In a recording from the meeting, Mafaya is heard telling councillors that she has “dismissed” the sitting based on a letter she received from acting mayor Thsonono  Buyeye on Monday.

Buyeye warned Mafaya in his letter that she had given councillors just one day’s notice for the meeting.

“[This] is contrary to the rules of order, which state that five days’ written notice must be given for a council meeting to be convened and, for any motion to be considered,  10 days’ notice must be given,” he wrote.

According to the municipal notice sent out at the weekend, Mafaya said the meeting was scheduled to appoint an acting city manager, as requested by co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Xolile Nqatha.

However, Buyeye said Nqatha had asked Mafaya to call a council meeting within 48 hours, and not to schedule it in that time frame.

Shortly after the meeting, DA councillor Nqaba Bhanga said his party was waiting for a judgment on their court action to compel Mafaya to call a council meeting to elect a new mayor.

The DA submitted an urgent application to the Port Elizabeth High Court in July, with judgment reserved on August 11.

“We believe the court will very shortly find in our favour and that the ANC-led coalition of corruption will, thereafter, be removed from power,” Bhanga said.

He said the party would only start coalition talks with those that wanted  the city to prosper.

ANC regional spokesperson JP Pretorius said the party’s provincial executive committee would release a statement soon on the council meeting.

PA councillor Marlon Daniels said his party looked forward to appointing a mayor when a meeting was correctly scheduled.

He said Mafaya had told him that she called the meeting as Nqatha had instructed her to do so.

“We are hell-bent and resolute that we won’t allow the MEC to crack the whip here.

“We won’t allow him to dictate terms and an agenda that comes from him.”

He said Nqatha must take a back seat when it came to the governance of the city.

ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom said he intended to start lobbying parties to petition for the removal of Mafaya.

“She never gave the parties a chance to debate that she felt the meeting was illegal,” he said.

Grootboom said Mafaya had used a legal opinion dated August 21 as the reason for cancelling the meeting, even though she had sent the notice for the sitting out at the weekend.

“She needs to be removed and the government must be changed,” Grootboom said.

EFF regional chair Ngawethu Madaka said his party did not attend the meeting as it was convened illegally.

“We didn’t get an agenda, and we still don’t have one, which is one of the reasons why we decided not to form part of the meeting,” he said, adding the party would not support any mayoral candidate.

UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani could not be reached for comment.

Buyeye said he was waiting for a report from chief operating officer Mandla George as to why former acting city manager Mvuleni Mapu had been arrested last week.

He said economic development executive director Anela Qaba was acting in the position for the time being, until he received the requested report.

Mapu was arrested on fraud and corruption charges linked to an alleged R900,000 bribe he received.

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