Nelson Mandela Bay Sees 3rd Woman Mayor, ANC’s Babalwa Lobishe Takes Reins Unapposed: “I’m Honoured”
- ANC Nelson Mandela Bay regional chairperson Babalwa Lobishe is the new Executive Mayor of the metro
- Lobishe was elected unopposed during a special council meeting convened by the Council Speaker on 31 October
- Lobishe is the 13th Executive Mayor since 2001, the sixth in the last six years, and the third woman to be elected
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GQEBERHA — Nelson Mandela Bay has a new first citizen after former deputy Babalwa Lobishe was elected unopposed as the new Executive Mayor on Thursday, 31 October 2024.
The change of the guard comes after National Alliance (NA) councillor Gary van Niekerk, who served as mayor from May 2023, resigned.
Third woman assumes NMBM reins
The council thus elected van Niekerk as Lobishe's deputy, effectively swapping roles to usher the municipality into a new era.
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Lobishe is the sixth Executive Mayor to be elected since 2018 and the thirteenth after the metro entity was established 13 years ago.
She is only the third woman to serve as Executive Mayor after Nondumiso Maphazi — the second incumbent overall from 2006 to 2009 — and Eugene Johnson, whose term lasted from 2021 to 2022.
Her uncontested election came at a special council meeting convened by the Council Speaker, Johnson. The African National Congress (ANC) regional chairperson did not hesitate to accept the nomination.
Saying she was honoured, Lobishe noted she bore the significant responsibility of serving the Bay community with commitment and integrity.
"Our focus will be on achieving service delivery excellence to ensure residents receive quality services," said Lobishe.
She said her office would prioritise efficient governance underpinned by transparency, responsiveness, and accountability.
Fighting against the rampant crime in the metro will be Lobishe and her collective leadership's first orders of business.
“Our city cannot be crippled by crime, and we must reclaim our city from criminals [by] forming close ties with law enforcement," she vowed.
"We must establish law and order and respect bylaws. We'll pay special attention to the work and resources of the NMBM metro police."
The former member of the Eastern Cape women's caucus noted taking up office at a time when many Nelson Mandela Bay residents were "still soaked in flooded areas" following the recent heavy rains.
Van Niekerk said his resignation as mayor on Thursday was geared toward re-aligning the executive following a multi-party agreement.
"My subsequent election as deputy allows me to continue serving the community with the tenacity and drive of my previous role.
"It was a position that [made] me to be a change agent by putting processes in place to improve the trajectory. It was a privilege to serve as Executive Mayor," Van Niekerk.
Nasiphi Moya new Tshwane mayor
In related news, Briefly News reported that Nasiphi Moya was officially announced as the new Tshwane Mayor on 9 October.
The position had been vacant since the Democratic Alliance's (DA) Cilliers Brink was removed through a motion of no confidence in September.
Moya became the fourth different mayor in the past three years.
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Source: Briefly News
