The suspension of Nelson Mandela Bay city manager Noxolo Nqwazi has cost the municipality more than R10m.
For a start, Nqwazi has earned R6.7m since she was placed on precautionary suspension in February 2024.
Mandla George’s secondment cost the city R1.2m for the six months he acted in the position in 2024 and Ted Pillay was paid R1.49m for his six-month acting period in 2025.
And the city has already spent R882,000 on legal fees in the Nqwazi matter.
The figures were disclosed at the city’s third appearance before parliament’s co-operative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) portfolio committee meeting on Wednesday.
The total excludes payments made to municipal officials who have acted in the position as the municipality declined to disclose those figures.
This means the figure would be even higher.
Nqwazi and Pillay’s earnings were revealed by acting corporate services executive director Yolanda Dakuse.
EFF MP Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi questioned the Bay delegation on who was acting as municipal manager and how much Nqwazi had been paid while on suspension.
Dakuse said between February 2024 and April 2026, Nqwazi had been paid R6.7m.
Earlier, Bay acting chief operating officer Lulamile Moolman revealed that the metro had paid R882,000 in legal fees in the Nqwazi matter.
Cogta portfolio committee chair Zweli Mkhize asked Dakuse whether the R6.7m included acting allowances paid to both the previous and current acting city managers.
Dakuse said the R6.7m was strictly for Nqwazi.
“We had two Section 154 support staff who were acting as city managers for six months.
“Outside of that, we also had acting city managers appointed by the council.”
Mkhize then asked if the figure of the Section 154 support had been quantified yet.
Pillay’s figure was later revealed, but Dakuse said no invoice had been sent for George.
However, Eastern Cape Cogta acting deputy director-general Charity Sihunu said the city would bear the cost of George’s secondment.
“We have received that invoice of R1.2m very late from the Competition Commission.
“We will be invoicing the municipality.”
George works at the Competition Commission.
“We will be claiming that money.”
Earlier, turning to Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe, Mkhize asked who the current acting city manager was.
Lobishe said it was COO Lonwabo Ngoqo.
Mkhize asked when he was appointed and who had made the decision.
Lobishe said she had decided on Wednesday morning.
“I made the decision this morning after receiving the letter from the CFO declining the acting appointment,” Lobishe said.
Mkhaliphi accused speaker Eugene Johnson of compromising the city’s council.
He was referring to a council meeting last week after a heated debate saw CFO Jackson Ngcelwane appointed to act as city manager for 14 days.
Ngcelwane was tasked with requesting a Section 154 intervention before his term expired.
Ngcelwane’s appointment followed an extensive behind-the-scenes debate at the special council meeting at the Feather Market Centre, where the ANC put his name forward.
This debate was then carried through to the meeting behind closed doors.
Lobishe proposed extending Ngoqo’s term as acting city manager by a further six months, according to her report.
However, it appeared Lobishe’s report was shot down by some within her ANC caucus, with Ngcelwane’s name being thrown in during the meeting.
Leaked recordings of the meeting reveal that infrastructure and engineering political head Buyelwa Mafaya proposed that Ngcelwane be appointed instead.
Mafaya is an ANC councillor.
Since the expiry of Ngoqo’s appointment as acting city manager on April 29, the metro has been without a city manager
Mkhaliphi said Johnson had allowed Ngcelwane to be appointed without being named in the report.
“Service delivery is standing still.
“There’s no service delivery because no one can sign for service delivery.
“The speaker is doing as she pleases.
“She must also be taken to task here.”
Meanwhile, parliament also raised Eastern Cape Cogta MEC Zolile Williams’ instruction that the municipality accept that Nqwazi’s precautionary suspension had lapsed.
On Tuesday, Williams wrote to Lobishe advising that Nqwazi be allowed to resume her duties.
“In the circumstances, the municipality is advised to accept that the precautionary suspension of Nqwazi has lapsed and she must be permitted to resume her duties,” he said.
“The municipality may continue with the disciplinary hearing, but there are no legal grounds to continue with the precautionary suspension.”
DA MP Marina van Zyl questioned whether Nqwazi was back in her office.
Lobishe answered no and that she had replied to Williams on Tuesday.
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