The monthly Nelson Mandela Bay Council meeting at the Wool Exchange Building in Port Elizabeth got off to an explosive start on Thursday morning when convicted fraudster and ANC Councillor Bongo Nombiba took his place in council.
Nombiba lost his application for special leave to appeal against his fraud and corruption conviction and a five-year jail sentence at the Supreme Court of Appeal last month.
A warrant of arrest was issued last week after he failed to hand himself over to serve his five-year prison sentence for fleecing a local NGO out of R20 000.
DA Councillor Morne Steyn wanted to know why Nombiba is present in council if there is a warrant out for his arrest.
The ACDP's Lance Grootboom also demanded that the matter is addressed before council proceeds.
Council speaker Buyelwa Mafaya replied that she had received a copy of Nombiba's leave to appeal to the Constitutional Court and also had a copy of a letter stating that the warrant of arrest had been withdrawn.
DA Provincial leader Ncaba Bhanga demanded to see the letters before the speaker but she replied that she does not have to show them to anyone - before briefly adjourning proceedings.
BREAKING: ANA has reliability learnt Bongo Nombiba warrant of arrest has been cancelled and his bail extended pending outcome of appeal to constitutional court @AfriNewsAgency pic.twitter.com/lneZ0yEZPZ
— Raahil Sain (@RaahilSain) April 4, 2019
