WAR ON POTHOLES: OVER 5,900 FIXES COMPLETED AS ‘FILL UP THE BAY’ CAMPAIGN TRANSFORMS METRO ROADS
Published: October 09, 2026<< BACK TO NEWS
The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s "Fill Up the Bay" pothole repair campaign is delivering visible improvements to road safety and drivability, with 5,944 potholes successfully repaired across the Metro.
The comprehensive infrastructure restoration drive was launched by Executive Mayor, Councillor Babalwa Lobishe. The initial launch took place at the Perseverance Industrial Area and expanded into Veeplaas and Ward 30, where heavy machinery and teams immediately went to work to rehabilitate routes severely damaged by flooding and prolonged maintenance backlogs.
Backed by a R61 million road maintenance budget, with R30 million specifically ring-fenced for accelerated pothole repairs, the programme was strategically designed to rebuild a safe, resilient road network capable of supporting the growing Nelson Mandela Bay economy. Beyond surface-level fixes, the campaign explicitly addresses structural issues. This includes repairing broken and collapsed stormwater drains and clearing to completely eradicate road flooding.
While significant strides have been made, persistent rainfall continues to impact the pace and quality of the ongoing work. In several areas, contractors must temporarily halt operations to allow surfaces to dry, while heavy downpours have occasionally compromised newly laid asphalt. Despite these weather challenges, municipal internal teams and appointed private contractors remain deployed daily across all clusters to maximize ground coverage.
Executive Mayor Councillor Babalwa Lobishe noted that the campaign has rapidly gained momentum, thanks to rigorous, continuous oversight by the Mayoral Committee Member (MMC) for Roads and Transport, Councillor Yolisa Pali-Jongilanga.
"Encouraging progress is being made, and contractors are active in almost every cluster of the Metro," said Executive Mayor Lobishe. "This work is about more than just patching holes; it is about elevating our road infrastructure to align with our economic growth strategy. A dependable road network is the absolute backbone of a thriving local economy."
A key component of the programme’s success is its integration with the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP). Over the last three months, 400 EPWP participants have been working alongside internal teams. Their efforts have resulted in the clearing of 4,700 stormwater drains, the decluttering of 3.4 kilometers of stormwater canals, and 1 kilometer of jet-vac clearing to date. Crucially, the project also drives localized economic relief by mandating that contractors employ at least three local community members in every ward where work takes place.
"Fixing potholes without concurrently addressing stormwater drainage and canals would be an exercise in futility," Mayor Lobishe added. "A major root cause of our road damage is stormwater running across the tarmac instead of being channeled through functional drains and canals. Our approach must remain comprehensive if we want these fixes to last." said Executive Mayor Lobishe.
Top stories
R33.3 MILLION BREAKS GROUND ON 153 HOMES AS NELSON MANDELA BAY CONFRONTS A 100 000 HOUSE BACKLOG October 07, 2026
Joe Slovo and KwaNobuhle developments advance the Municipality’s constitutional duty to turn the right of access to adequate housing into lived reality, even as need continues to far outstrip available funding
MORE THAN 500 GLOBAL TOURISM LEADERS PUT NELSON MANDELA BAY IN WORLD SPOTLIGHT September 30, 2026
More than 500 international delegates from across the world have converged on Nelson Mandela Bay for the 85th Skål International World Congress, providing the city and the Eastern Cape with a significant international platform to showcase the destina...