Four months since the idea of Gary van Niekerk stepping down to make way for an ANC mayor was first mooted, he resigned on Thursday.
The former deputy mayor, ANC regional chair Babalwa Lobishe, was elected Nelson Mandela Bay mayor and Van Niekerk took over as deputy.
The developments were hardly surprising as the ANC has for months been critical of service delivery in the Bay, laying the blame on ineffectual leadership at City Hall.
And though Lobishe and the ANC as a whole were the majority partners in the coalition government, the party appears to have viewed itself as separate from Van Niekerk, refusing to shoulder the blame for poor service delivery.
Now in the driving seat, Lobishe has the daunting task of having to turn things around in the next 18 to 24 months in the run-up to the 2026 local government elections.
If there are no visible improvements by the time residents head to the polls, the ANC will be punished harshly by voters, but if she pulls a rabbit out of the hat and turns things around, it could be the Damascus moment which the party needs to once again take charge of the city without a coalition partner.
It is, however, unlikely if one considers the voting trends over the last three general and municipal elections.
Discussing some of her priorities for the first 100 days in office, Lobishe said she wanted to do away with irregular expenditure and ensure that executive directors were appointed as several departments were without permanent heads.
Lobishe highlighted the problem of people affected by the recent flooding, saying moving them to safer spaces was urgent.
Most Bay residents don’t care who is sitting in the driving seat — they just want effective service delivery.
The metro is dealing with multiple crises which need urgent attention.
Many areas are being hit by unplanned power outages, almost daily, while the stormwater drains are clogged up.
Another big problem is the sanitation network which appears to be failing, leading to constant breaks and blockages.
This is bad for the economy, for tourism and, more importantly, the environment.
And then there is the poor state of the city’s roads and crime that is out of control.
Lobishe has her hands full as she takes on this poisoned chalice.
Is she equal to the task?
We certainly hope so, but only time will tell.
HeraldLIVE
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