Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Launches 'Siyasebenza Campaign' To Improve Service Delivery

Mayor Babalwa Lobishe of Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality on Thursday launched a campaign to improve service delivery across metro communities. The campaign, called "Siyasebenza Campaign: A Metro at Work", is part of the municipality's 100-day priorities.

It aims to speed up service delivery and improve the quality of life for residents. Through the Siyasebenza Campaign, Lobishe is urging local communities, businesses, and NGOs to work together with the municipality to improve service delivery across the metro.

The campaign will tackle immediate issues like illegal dumping, street cleaning, grass cutting, pothole repairs, fixing streetlights, and upgrading public spaces. The goal is to show quick results while also focusing on long-term solutions to improve service delivery sustainably, SA News reported.

During the launch, Members of the Mayoral Committee (MMCs) and senior officials were sent out in teams to cover different areas in Kariega and Dispatch. The teams worked on various service delivery issues, such as blocked sanitation systems, water leaks, flooding, electricity cable theft, and vandalism.

While talking to residents in affected areas, identified by ward councilors, Lobishe assured that the municipality was closely monitoring these issues and working on solutions. For ongoing challenges, the municipality is creating long-term solutions.

The mayor added that the focus is on Kariega, which was mostly impacted by last year's floods. Lobishe expressed deep concern about the high levels of vandalism in Kariega and called on residents and law enforcement to work together to catch those responsible.

She explained that vandalism delays service delivery because the money that should be used for other community needs is spent on fixing damaged infrastructure. This not only affects the municipality's finances but also stops the community from receiving essential services.

Joseph Tsatsire, the Acting Executive Director of Infrastructure and Engineering, confirmed the municipality's commitment to speeding up service delivery.

He said resources would be mobilized to improve service delivery, especially in areas identified by the campaign. Teams are already working on issues such as sanitation, water leaks, and replacing damaged infrastructure.

Last week, the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality urged community members to report and prevent the vandalism of electricity infrastructure after a substation in Khayelitsha, Kariega, collapsed due to vandalism.