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Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) residents are the clear winners after the standoff between City Hall and National Treasury has been resolved.

Earlier this week the Minister of Finance, Enoch Godongwana, confirmed that the nearly R600 million in equitable share that was withheld by National Treasury as a result of the irregular appointment of Anele Qaba as CEO of the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), will be paid to the Metro after Council agreed to start processes to set aside this appointment.

The DA is vindicated in this process as whistle blower in what was a blatant attempt at state capture by the ANC/EFF/NA/PA coalition government.

Although Qaba is still occupying the position of MBDA CEO, the DA can confirm that an application for legal review was launched by the Metro that seeks to set aside this irregular appointment. In addition, the application will also seek to formally remove the former directors of the MBDA board who now refuse to vacate their offices after a unanimous Council resolution was taken that the board will be dissolved.

This is an important victory for the people of NMB as the withholding of these funds by Treasury seriously undermined the financial integrity of the institution. NMB residents are fed-up with the lack of services they receive from an inept administration that was broken by design so that people could loot from the municipality.

Now more than ever Council needs to put the interests of our residents first and make sure that we get NMB working again.

The DA is in your corner, fighting for you.

Issued by Cllr Retief Odendaal - DA NMB Caucus Leader