GQEBERHA – Two attempts to remove Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe failed in a divided Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality council during a tense sitting on Tuesday, despite mounting pressure over service delivery.

The motions, brought by opposition parties, exposed deep political divisions within council and mounting dissatisfaction over service delivery failures.

The first motion, tabled by Bill Harrington of the Freedom Front Plus, was defeated with 63 councillors voting against it and 48 in favour.

Harrington argued that the motion was driven by “serious governance and service delivery failures” under Lobishe’s leadership.

He cited ongoing water disruptions, repeated electricity infrastructure failures and allegations of governance irregularities, including issues linked to municipal finances and infrastructure management.

He further criticised what he described as a lack of preventative maintenance, pointing to multiple pylon collapses that left large parts of the metro without electricity for extended periods.

A second motion, submitted by Lance Grootboom of the African Christian Democratic Party, was also unsuccessful.

The motion received 48 votes in favour and 64 against.

Grootboom’s motion outlined extensive concerns about infrastructure collapse, repeated electricity outages, and declining public confidence in municipal leadership.

It highlighted multiple pylon failures between 2024 and 2026, including incidents affecting key transmission lines such as Chelsea–Arlington and Greenbushes–Bethelsdorp, which resulted in widespread outages across areas including Summerstrand, Walmer and Humewood.

The motion also raised concerns about persistent water supply issues and questioned governance practices, including the leasing of a municipal transformer to a private company.

Criticism also emerged over the absence of seven councillors from the Democratic Alliance during the sitting.

Opposition parties argued that the cumulative impact of these issues had eroded public trust and demonstrated a failure of political oversight.

Despite this, Lobishe remains in office, with council ultimately rejecting both attempts to remove her.

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