Mongameli Bobani’s urgent court bid for reinstatement fails

Axed Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani has lost his court bid to be reinstated urgently.

Acting judge Lisa Ntsepe found on Thursday morning that Bobani had failed to show the Port Elizabeth high court why the matter was sufficiently urgent and accordingly dismissed the application with costs.

Former acting city manager Nobuntu Mpongwana’s application for reinstatement was also dismissed.

Bobani was voted out of his position at a council meeting two weeks ago while Mpongwana had resigned from her position as acting city boss.

She, however, wanted to be reinstated as she argued that Bobani had not accepted her resignation.

Bobani claimed that procedure was flouted in that he was not given the necessary notice of his impeding removal and that his removal was therefore unlawful.

Ntsepe said it was not necessary to deal with the merits of Bobani and Mpongwana’s case.

If Bobani wishes to proceed with his case, and he has already indicated that he will do so, the matter will be placed back on the motion court roll to be dealt with in the normal time frame of the court.