UNCOOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE‘Slap in the face for residents’ — NMB council rejects motions calling for streetlight tender accountabilityByKyran Blaauw

The Nelson Mandela Bay council has rejected two motions tabled by DA councillor Ondela Kepe, aimed at securing accountability for ongoing metro streetlight issues. Two motions tabled by DA councillor Ondela Kepe calling for accountability over the troubled state of Nelson Mandela Bay Metro’s streetlights were dismissed by the council on Thursday – a move Kepe condemned as “a slap in the face of every resident”. One motion sought the precautionary suspension of more than 10 Electricity and Energy Directorate officials implicated by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) in alleged fraud and corruption tied to streetlight contracts.

Despite revelations that the SIU had uncovered contraventions of anti-corruption and organised crime legislation, councillors from the ANC and their coalition partners did not support the motions, citing concerns about due process and that the motion was premature. The first motion comes as Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Velenkosini Hlabisa revealed that an SIU investigation into controversial streetlight contracts from 2020 had uncovered cases of fraud, contravention of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. Kepe’s motion asked that acting city manager Lonwabo Ngoqo take adequate steps to: Supporting the motion, Good party councillor Lawrence Troon said the issue had drawn significant public and parliamentary attention, noting that he had raised concerns about streetlight procurement long before the matter reached Parliament.

“There are councillors involved – six or seven of them,” Troon alleged. “I will support this motion on condition that the same action proposed for officials also applies to councillors. Everyone involved must be named, whether an official or a councillor.

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We want to see how councillors deal with their own.” Troon said that officials should not be singled out, saying they did not act alone and that accountability should extend across political lines. UDM councillor Luxolo Namette partially supported the motion, but rejected some of its recommendations.

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