Parliament’s Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs committee has warned the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro it may take further steps due to delayed responses to post-oversight requests. The concerns stem from an October 2025 oversight visit involving multiple municipalities. The metro maintains it submitted the required report on 14 March 2026.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has placed the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro on notice for failing to provide full and timely information following an oversight visit last year in Port Edward. The joint delegation, including the Standing Committee on the Auditor-General, engaged with Nelson Mandela Bay and Buffalo City metros in October 2025 to address audit disclaimers, poor financial statements, and service delivery challenges. Committee chairperson Zweli Mkhize stated on 19 March 2026 that the municipality's incomplete responses have hampered parliamentary oversight. “These requests are not discretionary,” Mkhize said. “They form part of Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to ensure accountability, transparency and effective cooperative governance.” Since January 2026, the committee has sent multiple letters and follow-ups requesting documents and reports. Mkhize urged mayor Babalwa Lobishe and metro leadership to submit all outstanding information ahead of a 24 March 2026 appearance. Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya responded that the metro submitted its report on 14 March 2026 and is engaging with the committee secretariat for clarification. He noted a prior meeting postponement allowed time to consolidate documents. The metro faces ongoing service delivery issues, including protests in Grogro over electricity, collapsed high-voltage pylons, and water shortages in areas like Tiryville and Kariega due to problems at Nooitgedagt Water Treatment Works. The Nelson Mandela Bay Civil Society Coalition criticised these failures as a violation of constitutional rights, affecting vulnerable communities.
