Gala Amid Crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay | Johannesburg News

In the shadow of sewage spills, power outages, and crumbling infrastructure, Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe’s lavish State of the Metro gala—costing taxpayers R235,000—sparked outrage. Opposition parties and even coalition allies boycotted the event, calling it tone-deaf amid worsening service failures and a decade-long crisis of financial mismanagement. While the mayor touted water connections and drought projects, residents endure days without running water, broken streetlights, and the lingering trauma of a pylon collapse that plunged neighborhoods into darkness for weeks. The National Treasury’s scrutiny of wasteful spending adds to mounting pressure as voters prepare to decide their city’s future. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Sources:https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-09-13-coalition-partners-snub-nmb-mayors-state-of-the-metro-address/ More coverage & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/d2a4176514c84f05 Report issues to [email protected].