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Nelson Mandela Bay executive mayor Babalwa Lobishe has outlined the priorities for the new mayoral executive over the next 100 days.
She took office on 31 October in an arrangement that saw her switch positions with erstwhile mayor, Gary Van Niekerk, whose future is in question after the Hawks summoned him on Thursday to appear in court next month on charges of cyber fraud and contravening the Public Finance Management Act.
In an address to the Council on Thursday, Lobishe said that over the next few months, Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality would aim to enhance its services to be “responsive and accessible” to residents.
She said this mission required all councillors and city officials to work with purpose and unity, serve with dedication, and bring about positive change in the Municipality.
"Over the next 100 days, we will reinforce our recent strategic planning outcomes by embedding these principles into every action and service our municipality provides to ensure effective governance and service delivery.
"Our efforts will be guided by our Integrated Development Plan (IDP) and strategically coordinated through the District Development Model (DDM) to enhance collaboration across all levels of government.
"This integrated approach will allow us to leverage resources and support effectively, ensuring that our municipality meets its goals with a unified and impactful strategy," Mayor Lobishe said.
According to the mayor, key deliverables include institutional transformation and organisational development, promoting local economic development, financial viability and management, basic service delivery and infrastructure investment, and good governance and public participation.
“We call upon every Councillor and Official, at every level, to engage in a spirit of collaboration, unity, and shared purpose,” she said.
Political parties weighed in on the mayor's speech with Ndumiso Qwazi of the EFF saying they welcomed the mayor's 100-day program, but vowed to hold her and her mayoral committee accountable for the promises made.
Qwazi also called on the city to take decisive action on errant spaza shops.
The Democratic Alliance's caucus leader Rayno Kayser criticised the mayor and said she has had influence for the past year as the deputy mayor, but did not use that power to ensure that services were delivered to the people.
"Crime and the unemployment rate increased under your watch, and you did nothing," he exclaimed.
The Good Party's Lawrence Troon expressed his dissatisfaction with the make-up of the executive council, lamenting that it was not inclusive and called for its collapse.
The ACDP's Lance Grootboom congratulated Lobishe on her election, but he also questioned what she had done as deputy mayor.
"These 100 days promise lacks substance, lacks goals and monitoring measures. There is nothing there to tell the residents what she will achieve, and how she will achieve it in the 100 days," he said.
Mayoral Committee member, Khusta Jack, of the Abantu Integrity Movement, welcomed the commitment made by the mayor in her speech.
