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NMB Needs effective senior administrators, not reshuffled MMCs

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Dear Editor

Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) has reached a crisis point. Seven of the ten Executive Director positions are vacant, leaving essential services in limbo. From broken streetlights to unrepaired potholes, the effects of this management vacuum are felt daily by residents, who face diminished safety, unreliable infrastructure, and interrupted services.

As newly appointed Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe prepares to announce the new Mayoral Committee, it’s crucial to recognise that NMB doesn’t need another political reshuffle—it needs a committed team of skilled senior managers to stabilise the administration. Without a reliable chain of command, accountability falters, and critical services are neglected, impacting every household, business, and neighbourhood in the Metro.

The Metro currently lacks Executive Directors in Budget and Treasury, Economic Development Tourism and Agriculture, Electricity and Energy, Infrastructure and Engineering, Roads and Stormwater, Safety and Security, and Sport and Culture, leaving critical departments adrift.

Previous attempts to appoint senior managers have been derailed by political power struggles among coalition partners, creating the highest vacancy rate of any municipality in South Africa.

The revolving doors of political leadership have resulted in acting Executive Directors coming and going, resulting in little to no accountability by officials to senior management.

Although the Metro administration has indicated that some senior positions would be difficult to fill due to an imminent change in the staff organogram of the Metro, the Council must prioritise and fast-track all the vacancies that can be filled in order to bring administrative stability to NMB.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) will raise the issue of filling critical senior management and support for the Metro at the next Portfolio Committee of CoGTA and will insist on urgent solutions to bring immediate stability to NMB.

We also believe the beleaguered municipality must prioritise:

  • Section 154 support to fix and overhaul Supply Chain Management;
  • Headhunt and fill the vacancies for Civil and Electrical Engineers;
  • Implement a costed turnaround plan to fix the Electricity and Energy Department that is factually bankrupt;
  • Finalise the yearlong disciplinary process against Bay City Manager, Dr Nqwazi Noxolo;
  • Address the dysfunctionality of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC.)

As the economic engine of the Eastern Cape, Nelson Mandela Bay’s challenges affect the entire province. The dysfunctionality of the Metro is one of the most significant contributing factors to the Eastern Cape being the only province currently in a technical recession.

Appointing the right management team in the administration is the first step towards getting NMB working again

Regards

Retief Odendaal MPL
DA Shadow MEC for COGTA

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NMB Communications

Media Communications at Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Communications Department is responsible for communicating pertinent Municipal news from Port Elizabeth, Uitenhage and Despatch. Municipality Contact Details. See more articles by NMB Communication's.