Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting to oust Bobani cancelled amid 'imminent threats'
|Published
Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani. Picture: Raahil Sain / African News Agency (ANA) Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani. Picture: Raahil Sain / African News Agency (ANA)
Port Elizabeth - A Nelson Mandela Bay council meeting scheduled to take place on Thursday morning was cancelled amid “imminent threats against councillors”.
A motion of no confidence against Mayor Mongameli Bobani was expected to be debated but because of a “high security risk” Council Speaker Buyelwa Mafaya cancelled the meeting at the eleventh hour.
Municipal spokesperson, Mthubanzi Mniki said the meeting was cancelled in the interest of protecting the democratic processes of council and to execute a duty to ensure the safety of office bearers.
“Although we received threats in the past, the sheer intensity and viciousness of those received in the last 24 hours necessitated us to make this decision in consultation with SAPS,” said Mniki.
He said a later date for the meeting would be communicated when all the necessary security measures were in place to deal with the current threat.
In a statement Mafaya said the cancellation was due to advice received from police involving a high security risk associated with the meeting.
Mafaya said it would not be safe to hold the meeting.
The doors at the Woolboard Exchange building were locked on Thursday morning with a few metro police officials nearby.
Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) held a caucus at the Port Elizabeth Fire Station.
DA members are later expected to gather at the Woolboard Exchange building where they will address the media.
The motion, brought by DA councillor Morne Steyn, was being supported by the Patriotic Alliance (PA), African Christian Democratic Party and Congress of the People.