Gary Van Niekerk, the president of the National Alliance, has been suspended from his position as deputy mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality amid serious fraud allegations.
On Thursday, Van Niekerk appeared before the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crime Court, facing charges including cyber fraud and violations of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). The case follows a summons issued by the Hawks last month, compelling him to appear in court. The case has been postponed to January 15 for further investigation.
The controversy began after a motion of no confidence was filed against Van Niekerk by a Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor on November 15. This motion, which was to be tabled during a council meeting on Thursday, was delayed due to a communication issue, according to Nelson Mandela Bay Speaker Eugene Johnson. The matter was then postponed until the council’s next meeting in 2025. In the interim, the council voted to suspend Van Niekerk, with 56 councillors supporting the suspension and 46 voting against.
Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe explained that Van Niekerk’s suspension would ensure the council could continue its work. She also stated that Van Niekerk would remain an ordinary councillor but would lose executive benefits like a driver and VIP protection.
Van Niekerk is accused of fraudulently securing legal representation in 2022, which led to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality being billed over R550,000. He is also reportedly involved in soliciting another legal opinion costing R23,000, in violation of MFMA rules. An ad hoc council committee investigating the claims found Van Niekerk guilty of misconduct and breaching the council’s code of conduct.
The suspension comes after months of scrutiny and legal proceedings, with the case still ongoing.
