Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Mayor Babalwa Lobishe faces a motion of no confidence.

• The Hawks are investigating a case in which Nelson Mandela Bay Metro ANC Mayor Babalwa Lobishe allegedly bypassed the council to lease a state-owned transformer to a private company.
• Since late last year, the city has seen several pylons collapse, plunging the metro into darkness and causing ripple effects, including water supply disruptions.
• Councillors want Lobishe out of office and have submitted a motion of no confidence in her.

The ACDP has filed a motion of no confidence in under-pressure Nelson Mandela Bay Metro ANC Mayor Babalwa Lobishe.

News24 has seen the motion by ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom, submitted under rule 25 of the council rules of order.

The motion, submitted to council speaker Eugene Johnson on Thursday, could see a new mayor or yet another political party ascend to the Gqeberha-based town hall ahead of the local government elections.

The motion’s success would scupper the ANC-EFF-led coalition, which was divided over the transfer of a state-owned transformer to private company Coega Steels, according to municipal sources.

Nelson Mandela Bay is the only municipality outside of Cape Town where the DA secured more votes than the ANC, with the former securing 210 007 and the latter 207 443 in the last local government elections.

Both parties have 48 seats.

READ | NMB mayor calls out ANC members for ‘ill discipline’ toward her amid Hawks probe

The ANC has primarily led the town hall, and when it has lost power, it has been led by DA-led coalitions, which have proven to be unstable.

Grootboom’s motion follows several parties voicing their dissatisfaction with Lobishe after revelations that she unilaterally leased a state-owned transformer to a private company.

Gqeberha has been affected by several power cuts, water crises, and myriad other service delivery-related issues.

Nelson Mandela Bay spokesperson S’thembiso Soyaya read News24’s queries about the motion on WhatsApp, but had not responded at the time of writing.

His response will be added once received.

The ACDP listed the transfer of the R25 million transformer, as well as related issues such as power outages and other crises, as reasons why the party filed the motion to unseat Lobishe.

In his motion, Grootboom cited the collapse of the Chelsea-Arlington transmission line, which raised concerns about the “structural condition” of the municipality’s high-voltage transmission pylons and the adequacy of maintenance programmes for critical electricity infrastructure.

Pylons are the tall structures that support overhead powerlines.

Grootboom added: “Despite the seriousness of that incident and the warning it provided regarding infrastructure risk, no comprehensive programme was implemented to urgently appoint service providers to inspect, refurbish, and repair vulnerable pylons across the municipality’s electricity transmission network.”

More pylons collapsed on the Greenbushes-Bethelsdorp transmission line, once again plunging large parts of Gqeberha into darkness for several nights.

The collapse of the pylons in January caused several ripple effects, including disruptions to water supplies that strained essential municipal services.

Grootboom said:

He added that this collapse had affected communities on the coastal belt, including Summerstrand, Humewood, Walmer, Walmer Heights, Lovemore Park, Schoenmakerskop, and neighbouring areas.

Grootboom’s motion posited that these areas formed part of the city’s tourism attraction, and were therefore a threat to those who depend on the restaurants and other businesses there.

“The repeated collapse of pylons within such a short period demonstrates serious weaknesses in infrastructure planning, maintenance, and oversight,” he said.