The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on the Eastern Cape Government to intervene by instituting consequence management against Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, over the transformer lease fiasco in the Metro.
This follows Mayor Lobishe’s admission before the COGTA Parliamentary Committee conceding that the leasing of the City’s 132/22kV, 63MVA transformer to Coega Steels was irregular.
The transformer, which is a strategic municipal asset worth R25 million was unlawfully leased out. This was done despite clear legal advice on the correct processes to be followed and the matter was never authorised by Council. The Executive Mayor herself signed off on this decision while being explicitly advised to refer it to Council.
To make matters worse, the Municipality has recently tabled two whitewashed reports, that seek to protect the Mayor, before both the Electricity and Energy Standing Committee and Council that are a blatant attempt to sanitise her wrongdoing.
The reports completely fail on consequence management where it matters most. Instead, responsibility is conveniently shifted onto former officials who are no longer in the institution. The role of the Executive Mayor is deliberately ignored, and the public is expected to accept a version of events that protects political leadership at all costs.
I have written to the Acting City Manager, urging him to immediately institute consequence management against the Mayor by formally requesting intervention from the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Zolile Williams.
Mayor Lobishe has ignored legal advice, bypassed Council, exposed residents to risk, and presided over a pattern of governance failures that continues to erode trust in the Municipality. She has demonstrated that she is not fit to hold office.
At a time when Nelson Mandela Bay faces ongoing service delivery failures, including major power outages that leave communities vulnerable, the City cannot afford leadership that acts unlawfully and evades accountability.
We will continue to fight to ensure that those responsible are held accountable, governance is restored, and the interests of residents come before political survival. The people of the Metro deserve a government that provides services, safety and jobs to get Nelson Mandela Bay working again.