Nelson Mandela Bay metro in crisis, but also SA’s most fixable

Nelson Mandela Bay is SA’s most fixable metro.

A bold statement that may raise many eyebrows given the infrastructure management crisis and ongoing leadership instability in the metro — but it is one in which the Business Chamber firmly believes.

There are a number of reasons for this view.

One, is that Nelson Mandela Bay is relatively small and compact, an area easier to manage than much more sprawling metros, and where small changes can make a big difference.

Second, is the tremendous potential of our Bay of Opportunity — a two-port city, an automotive and manufacturing powerhouse with cutting-edge technology and innovation capabilities, coastal lifestyle advantages, natural beauty and eco-tourism, with ample sunshine and wind for renewable energy generation.

The Bay of Opportunity is no pipe-dream.

When we present these advantages to potential investors, multinationals companies, companies headquartered in Gauteng or Cape Town, international trade delegates and diplomas — they are enthusiastic, supportive, and want to know more about how to get a foot in our door.

We are increasingly seeing companies in various sectors interested in relocating or expanding to the Bay due to attractive prospects for their employees of less sprawl and traffic congestion, affordable property prices, and greater work-life balance.

Third, is the Bay’s greatest asset — our people.

We have proven ourselves resilient in the face of adversity. We stand up, reach out and help each other in times of crisis.

We have a can-do attitude and are willing to work together, crossing boundaries of sector interests to collaborate, make a plan, share resources, and make a difference.

A case in point is the 11 Geographic Clusters supported by the Business Chamber — businesspeople in industrial, commercial and tourist areas across the metro collaborating to fix shared problems.

Thanks to their collective efforts, and their united voice in raising issues with the municipality, sub-stations and pump stations are being protected against vandalism, security cameras have been installed in public spaces and monitoring and response coordinated with the authorities, street lights and traffic lights are being reinstated, road markings are being re-painted, sidewalks and public spaces are being cleared of litter and illegal dumping.

The Chamber also has a master memorandum of understanding in place with the municipality, which enables businesses to step in and address infrastructure issues on the ground.

Business is also supporting municipal infrastructure, guarding against vandalism of substations and pumpstations, and fixing leaks and installing water conservation measures at schools, through our initiatives of Adopt A Sub-Station, Adopt A School, Adopt a Pump-station and Adopt a Traffic Light

These are all examples of what can be done through collaboration, and also what is possible when the municipality opens itself up to accepting technical advice, solutions and resources from businesses that just want to be a part of helping the municipality and the Bay to succeed.

Another case in point is the Civil Society Coalition, of which the Business Chamber is a member.

This multi-stakeholder coalition — encompassing churches, NGOs, labour unions, women’s and youth organisations, business organisations, traditional leaders, and other civic organisations —has forged a social compact to work together to improve the state of the metro.

It is thanks to the lobbying efforts of the coalition that the parliamentary committee on cooperative governance has put the municipality under its spotlight with physical oversight visits and summoning the metro’s leadership to parliamentary hearings.

This is a significant milestone in holding the metro’s political and executive leadership accountable for service delivery failures and crumbling infrastructure.

The pressure will continue to be applied, through ongoing lobbying by the coalition, as a non-partisan united grouping; of the relevant cabinet ministers and national departments, state-owned enterprises, National Treasury and the leadership of the metro.

A multi-stakeholder Electricity Technical Task Team of the coalition partners meets bi-weekly to put the focus on the priority areas required to address critical electricity infrastructure issues, and work with officials on solutions and much needed action.

Similarly, the Chamber’s technical tasks on water, electricity and sanitation are providing technical expertise and solutions, working collaboratively with municipal officials to implement solutions.

This is another reason for saying the Bay is the most fixable metro — the municipal officials with whom we work across the levels are by and large committed to their jobs, they want to do the right thing in delivering public services and reliable infrastructure.

But they are hamstrung by high levels of vacancies, supply chain obstacles, and lack of vehicles and tools of their trade.

Imagine what they could achieve in turning the metro around if they were fully capacitated and had the support of the metro’s leadership?

It is important to understand that when the Business Chamber undertakes lobbying actions and adopts positions about municipal functionality and issues impacting on the enabling environment, that we are a politically neutral, business-focused organisation.

We are willing to work with whoever the appointed political parties of the day may be and any stakeholders that are willing to work with us in the best interests of the people of Nelson Mandela Bay.

We believe in collaboration and working as a collective to get things done more efficiently.

And we believe it is not too late to fix Nelson Mandela Bay — with the right political will and strong leadership, irrespective of who is in power.

- Denise van Huyssteen is chief executive of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber

• Follow The Herald WhatsApp channel today and stay connected to the stories shaping our world.

The Herald