EXECUTIVE MAYOR REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO ACCOUNTABILITY, COOPERATION AND GOVERNANCE REFORM
Published: March 26, 2026<< BACK TO NEWS
.jpg)
The Executive Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay, Babalwa Lobishe, has concluded her engagement with the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs held on 24–25 March 2026.
The Executive Mayor welcomes the robust engagement with Parliament as a critical mechanism to strengthen accountability, transparency and cooperative governance across all spheres of government.
The Executive Mayor acknowledges the concerns raised by the Committee regarding delays and inconsistencies in responses to parliamentary correspondence. These concerns are taken seriously and are being addressed with urgency.
Preliminary internal assessments have identified administrative and process breakdowns within the Office of the Executive Mayor, which contributed to failures in ensuring that all correspondence from Parliament was processed, escalated and responded to within the required timeframes.
While these operational shortcomings are regrettable, the Executive Mayor emphasises that:
There was no intention to disregard or undermine Parliament.
The matter reflects system weaknesses rather than a lack of political accountability.
To address this, the executive Mayor has instituted the following immediate interventions:
The reconfiguration of administrative and correspondence management systems within the Office of the Executive Mayor.
The implementation of a centralised tracking and escalation protocol for all parliamentary and statutory communications.
The strengthening of internal accountability measures, including consequence management where required.
The designation of a dedicated parliamentary liaison function to ensure full compliance with oversight requirements
The Executive Mayor has further committed to providing the Committee with all outstanding information and to maintaining consistent, transparent and timeous engagement going forward.
On matters relating to governance, financial management and infrastructure assets, including those raised during the engagement, the Municipality is cooperating with all relevant processes and will continue to act within the prescripts of the law.
The Executive Mayor reiterates that accountability is not optional, it is a constitutional obligation, and Nelson Mandela Bay remains committed to restoring confidence in its governance systems.
This engagement marks an important step toward strengthening institutional performance and ensuring that the Municipality delivers effectively for the residents and businesses of Nelson Mandela Bay.
Top stories
Summit highlights innovation, investment in Africa’s blue economy March 25, 2026
The Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre has been transformed into a hub for the regenerative blue economy as the second day of the Ocean Innovation Africa Summit reaches its peak.
NELSON MANDELA BAY MUNICIPALITY TAKES A FIRM STANCE AGAINST ILLEGAL WATER SALES AND UNLICENSED BOREHOLE USE March 25, 2026
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality is taking a firm and proactive stance against the unlawful extraction and sale of water. Municipal authorities have observed a concerning increase in unauthorised water distribution from boreholes and open water sy...