MPs blast mayor and NMB officials for failure to account before Parliament

Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Babalwa Lobishe has been criticised by Parliament’s Cooperative Governance committee over delays in providing information on the alleged irregular transfer of a R25 million transformer now under investigation by the Hawks.

Babalwa Lobishe/Facebook

The Nelson Mandela Bay metro allegedly irregularly transferred a R25 million electrical transformer to a private company.Parliamentarians want Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Babalwa Lobishe to account over a state-owned transformer,among other issues.She will appear before the committee this week.Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs portfolio committee chair,Zweli Mkhize,has lambasted the Nelson Mandela Bay metro’s leadership,including Mayor Babalwa Lobishe,for failing to satisfactorily respond to requests for information following the committee’s oversight visit last year.

News24 understands that,among other things,the committee is pressing Lobishe for details on the allegedly irregular transfer of a R25 million state-owned transformer to a private company.

The Eastern Cape Hawks recently confirmed an investigation into claims that Lobishe allegedly unilaterally transferred the transformer by bypassing the council.

The Mkhize-led committee also asked Lobishe,in a letter dated January 2026,for more details about the transformer’s transfer.

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Lobishe and NMB officials were meant to appear before the portfolio committee last week,but failed to do so.

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

However,Lobishe and City spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya told News24 that the sitting was postponed for this week.

News24 approached Mkhize for comments about Lobishe’s alleged failure to appear.

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Mkhize did not respond to News24’s specific questions but instead the portfolio committee sent out a statement.

In a statement,Mkhize said the committee had,after an oversight visit last year,formally requested a range of documents and detailed reports from the municipality to enable the committee to fulfil its constitutional oversight mandate.

Mkhize said:

The portfolio committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has noted with concern the continued delays in,and incomplete responses to,requests for information following the committee’s oversight engagement with the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality last year.

“Since January,the committee has engaged in sustained correspondence with the municipality,including multiple formal letters,follow-up communications and requests for clarification,” Mkhize said.

“These engagements demonstrate the committee’s consistent effort to obtain the necessary information in a cooperative and structured manner.”

Mkhize said despite the MPs’ efforts,responses from the municipality have been “delayed or incomplete”.

“These requests are not discretionary,” Mkhize said.

He added:

They form part of Parliament’s constitutional responsibility to ensure accountability,transparency and effective cooperative governance. Timely and full cooperation from the municipality is therefore essential.

“These delays affect Parliament and this committee’s ability to assess progress on critical issues identified during the oversight visit. These include governance,financial management and service delivery matters that impact communities.

“It is therefore important that the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro leadership respond fully and timeously to the committee’s requests.”

The committee called on Lobishe,and the leadership of the Nelson Mandela Bay metro,to prioritise full and transparent cooperation with Parliament by submitting all outstanding information,furnishing clear responses to the committee’s queries and “meaningfully engaging in corrective actions”.

The committee said it expects the municipality’s leadership to appear before it on Tuesday 24 March.

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It asked Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Zolile Williams to support and intervene in the municipality to ensure that it complies with its obligations.

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“The role of the provincial department in strengthening oversight,monitoring compliance and supporting municipalities is critical to ensuring that matters raised are addressed effectively.

“We urge the municipality to provide the committee with all outstanding information as requested before its appearance next week on 24 March 2026. Continued delays and non-compliance will compel the committee to consider further steps to ensure accountability,” Mkhize said.