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The Board of the Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) has broken its silence on the controversy surrounding the withholding of grant funding from the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality over the appointment of Anele Qaba as their new CEO.
National Treasury has withheld R591 m in grant funding from the municipality, DA Caucus leader Retief Odendaal announced during a press conference last week.
Qaba is the metro's former Executive Director for Economic Development, Tourism, and Agriculture.
The municipality ended his employment after a lengthy suspension before his appointment at the MBDA.
National Treasury's stance on the matter was outlined in a letter addressed to Mayor Gary van Niekerk by the City Manager.
MBDA Board Chairperson Glenda Perumal said it was common cause that Odendaal oversaw the process that led to the municipality reaching a settlement agreement with Qaba.
She said the settlement was concluded after the municipality's Disciplinary Board had cleared Qaba of wrongdoing.
According to Perumal's statement, Odendaal should have advised the MBDA of any grounds that would prevent Qaba from assuming any further employment within the municipality or its Entity, had he felt obliged.
The MBDA thinks Odendaal is diverting attention from his failure to ensure (if necessary) that preventative clauses were inserted in Qaba's settlement and communicated to the Entity.
"Councillor Odendaal must account to the ratepayers for his inaction as Executive Mayor because it appears that he may have misled Council when he tabled the item to settle with Mr. Qaba."
The Board said it was satisfied that due diligence was done during the recruitment process and that Qaba met and exceeded the job requirements.
"The instruction given by the former Mayor to the City Manager is tantamount to illegal action as the City Manager cannot overturn a Council-approved Service Delivery Agreement without valid reasons.
"Councillor Odendaal must not drag the MBDA through the mud for political expediency and relevance, Perumal said.
