Married exec rejects NMB deputy mayor’s ‘advances’ three times

Acting executive director of corporate services Vuyo Zitumane on Wednesday accused Nelson Mandela Bay Deputy Mayor Mongameli Bobani of making advances at her three times, despite her being happily married.

This after reports emerged that Bobani had opened fraud cases against Zitumane and City Manager Johan Mettler on Wednesday at the Humewood police station.

Bobani accused the duo of entering into “dubious” contracts worth millions of rands on behalf of the city, a fact which Mayor Athol Trollip allegedly had knowledge of.

According to The Herald, Zitumane said she rejected Bobani’s advances three times in the past but he persisted.

“I refused to avail myself on his three attempts, to tell me that he is available to me 24 hours a day,” she told the news site.

The municipality’s acting corporate services head claimed that Bobani tried to get her a recall two suspended officials and authorise irregular payments to two companies.

She further revealed that Bobani encouraged her three times to apply for the city manager position, as well as the chief operating officer post.

This in spite of the fact that he had called her incompetent.

“It is worth mentioning I had to block his calls on my cell phone. Evidence relating to all these matters will be provided at an appropriate platform and time. The list is endless,” she said.

Zitumane told the news site earlier on that she intended to sue Bobani for calling her corrupt on several occasions.

The bombshell from the senior official is the latest in a series of events to hit the troubled metro.

Mayor Trollip recently announced at a press briefing that the municipality would launch high-level forensic investigations into three contracts where there were serious allegations of impropriety.

This announcement ruffled Bobani’s feathers, leading the deputy mayor to express his disgust and lash out at the mayor for treating him like an “illegitimate child”.

Bobani said he was never informed of the “apartheid government-style operation” and expressed disgust at the way the probe was being handled.

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