'Baffling that Holomisa has not acted against Bobani'
The former deputy mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Mongameli Bobani, is being described as a "troublesome fellow with questionable character".
This is the opinion of political analyst Dr Mcebisi Ndleteyana.
Ndletyana was commenting on the current political impasse in the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality.
Bobani was removed as the deputy mayor on Friday, much to the chagrin of his political party the United Democratic Movement (UDM).
"From the very beginning he was opposed to some of the measures the DA was introducing and especially some of the investigations the mayor Athol Trollip was instituting. Bobani was really not in favour of that," Ndletyana says.
He says it all began in 2013 when Bobani pushed for a motion to the oust the then newly-appointed municipal manager.
Dr Lindelwa Msengana Ndlela had questioned the legality of certain contracts entered into by the ANC.
Ndletyana says the ANC then used Bobani to oust Ndlela as the municipal manager so they could continue with the suspicious contracts.
"Those contracts today are subject to legal disputes, in fact people have been suspended purely based on those contracts," he said.
Ndletyana says he cannot blame the DA for questioning Bobani's character.
"Essentially the problems in Nelson Mandela Bay are not ideological, but they are centralized around a dodgy character."
Ndletyana says it baffles him that Holomisa has not yet acted against Bobani.
"Not everyone in the UDM supports the retaining of him as Deputy Mayor. I know that the Deputy President of the UDM has admitted that Bobani is the problem, but Holomisa just doesn't want to impose any sanction on him," Ndletyana says.
Plans are already afoot to elect a new Deputy Mayor at the next council meeting, while the UDM is at the same time threatening legal action over Bobani's removal.