Mongameli Bobani (12 July 1968 – 11 November 2020) was a South African politician and lawyer. He served as the Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality from August 2018 until December 2019. He was previously the Deputy Executive Mayor and the Member of Mayoral Committee for Public Services.^[1][2][3]

Mongameli Bobani was born on 12 July 1968, the son of Vumile Bobani and Nomvuyo Gladys Mawa.^[4]

Bobani was appointed as proportional representation councillor for the United Democratic Movement in 2002. He was the leader of the United Democratic Movement's caucus in the Nelson Mandela Bay council. Under his leadership, the UDM gained Ward 30 from the African National Congress in a by-election that took place in 2015. The party later lost the ward in the 2016 municipal elections.

In 2016, the UDM announced that Bobani would be the party's mayoral candidate for the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality in the upcoming 2016 municipal elections. His main focus points were job creation, service delivery and eradicating corruption. He announced that the party would be targeting 40 wards. The party later won no wards, but earned 1.9% of the vote giving them two seats on the council.^[5]

After the 2016 municipal elections, no party had received an outright majority on the Nelson Mandela Bay council with Democratic Alliance as the largest party with 57 seats, four seats short of a necessary majority of 61 seats. The Democratic Alliance announced that they would enter a coalition with the United Democratic Movement, Congress of the People and African Christian Democratic Party, giving them an effective majority of 61 seats on the council. The UDM later withdrew and was replaced by the Patriotic Alliance.^[6] On 18 August 2016, Athol Trollip was elected Executive Mayor with Bobani as Deputy Executive Mayor. Bobani succeeded Bicks Ndoni, who was appointed in May 2015.^[7] Athol Trollip announced that Bobani would take up the position as Member of Mayoral Committee for Public Health.^[8]

In May 2017, Mayor Athol Trollip released a statement announcing that he had removed Bobani as MMC for Public Health. Trollip stated that the Public Health Directorate had been a concern, given that serious allegations of maladministration and impropriety were made. He also called Bobani's public behaviour and conduct unacceptable.^[9]

In August 2017, the Patriotic Alliance councillor brought forward a motion of no confidence against Bobani to remove him as Deputy Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay. The opposition parties, including Bobani, staged a walkout when the Speaker did not allow more than one member of each political party to debate the motion. The Speaker Jonathan Lawack announced after the vote that the motion had passed with 60 members in favour of his removal.^[10] Bobani subsequently filed an urgent application to be reinstated as Deputy Executive Mayor, since the meeting was deemed illegal by opposition parties because they alleged there was no quorum. The Eastern Cape High Court dismissed the application.^[11] The UDM released a statement stating that the party had withdrawn from the coalition agreement. The Patriotic Alliance replaced the UDM, but later also withdrew.

In December 2017, Trollip announced that Lance Grootboom of the African Christian Democratic Party would fill the position of MMC for Public Health. The department was under Trollip's direct political rule since Bobani's dismissal in May.^[12]

In August 2020 Bobani was elected to the position of MMC for Infrastructure and Engineering in Nelson Mandela Bay by the interim mayor, Thsonono Buyeye.^[27][28] He replaced Andile Lungisa, former ANC councillor and convicted criminal,^[29] who held the position from 2018 to 2020. Bobani's appointment included responsibility for the Nelson Mandela Bay metro response to Day Zero water shortages in the region.^{[citation needed]}

Bobani was a qualified lawyer. He was married and a father of five children.

Bobani died after he was hospitalised for three weeks with COVID-19.^[30]