The Patriotic Alliance (PA) in Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) says it has tabled another motion of no confidence in Mayor Mongameli Bobani.

Council will meet on Thursday, when the motion – this time in terms of rule 24 – is expected to be debated, PA councillor Marlon Daniels said.

READ: NMB Mayor Bobani ‘not even shaken’ as another motion for his removal looms

In the notice, which News24 has seen, Daniels stated that Bobani couldn’t be “trusted” in office.

“Councillor Mongameli Bobani has done very little to none to the betterment of the lives of the poor communities,” he said.

In February, the party filed an urgent notice of intent to lodge a motion of no confidence against Bobani, which failed in the city council on March 1.

Not sticking to agreements

Daniels had initially filed the previous motion in terms of rule 25, and was seconded by the ACDP’s Lance Grootboom.

However, the council – minus the DA caucus – rejected the tabling of the motion when it was announced on the day, resulting in it not being voted on.

On the latest move, Daniels said: “This motion is on the council agenda, meaning then that it must be debated. There is no permission needed, it will now [come] before council and every party will have a chance to debate the motion.”

Daniels said the current coalition was not sticking to agreements that had been set when a new local government was formed, following the ousting of Athol Trollip.

“In simple terms, the agreement was that the minority parties will be the face of the metro, and currently they are not the face of the metro,” he said.

He accused Bobani of taking instructions from the ANC’s Andile Lungisa on how to run the metro.

He said the ANC was dictating what and how things should be done in the metro through Lungisa.

“I have had meetings with the minority parties; some of them came to me personally to talk to me on how unhappy they are with the new coalition government and it’s only because Bobani and Andile are the two people cracking [the] whip,” Daniels said.

When News24 contacted Lungisa, he said Marlon was “taking chances”; “loved the limelight”, and that the motion would not pass. “It won’t pass; he is just seeking attention. There is no substantive motion.”

Daniels said he trusted that during the debate, all those who were not in favour of the motion would be persuaded to think otherwise.

Hopeful

He added he was hopeful that council would most likely remove Bobani.

“There is lobbying that is taking place at the moment, because all we need to do now is to get two more councillors to support the motion and then the motion [will carry].”

“I think there is a very good chance of us to get this motion through; if the ones who are complaining in the coalition decide to stand on principles and do what is right and not be bothered about positions that they currently have,” said Daniels.

In 2017, the PA officially withdrew from the NMB coalition after it failed to put forward Daniels as the preferred candidate to take over the position of deputy mayor.

Bobani could not be reached for comment.

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