While thousands of residents of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (NMBM) are engaged in a daily struggle to put food on the table, have access to running water and keep sewage out of their streets, the Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, hosted an extravagant gala evening to deliver her State of the City Address (SOCA).
This is a slap in the face of ordinary ratepayers and poor families who daily bear the consequences of collapsing service delivery.
Lobishe’s speech painted a picture of progress, but the reality at grass-roots level tells a different story.
Ratepayers deserve more than a list of projects and promises – they deserve measurable results, accountability and value for every rand spent.
The Mayor herself acknowledged that unemployment still stands at 33,1%, that manufacturing competitiveness is declining, that the lack of investor confidence continues, and that the Metro is wrestling with serious issues such as vacancies, ageing infrastructure, maintenance backlogs, financial pressure and outstanding debt.
These are not minor issues, but the core functions of a municipality.
The Metro’s revenue collection rate for July 2026 was only 78,3%. Meanwhile, R105 million is earmarked for a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system even as water and electricity losses, the underspending of grants and financial management problems persist.
In 2022/23, R122,9 million in conditional grants was left unspent. Of this, R63,7 million was not approved for roll-over and was no longer available for local service delivery.
Millions that were specifically earmarked for communities and infrastructure were simply not spent in time.
It is unacceptable that a municipality, which continually claims there is not enough money, hosts an extravagant gala while funds specifically allocated for service delivery are not properly utilised.
The same goes for water, roads, electricity, sanitation and refuse removal. The test is not how much money was spent or how impressive the gala was, but whether basic services are reliably delivered to residents.
The SOCA ought to be a report of accountability: What was promised? What was delivered? What failed? What did it cost? And who it accountable?
The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is convinced that NMBM can do better. We want a municipality that goes back to the basics, protects ratepayers, ends squandering and measures every department against clear targets.
The election is not about slogans or galas. It is about accountability, competent governance and a metro that works again.
Freedom Front Plus Manifesto: The FF Plus advocates for a federal system of government in South Africa.
Green Scavenger
Could you perhaps tell me which political party is the ruling party in South Africa?
Impulse
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