In an election year, it is tempting to see most things in partisan terms. Hence, engagements on pressing matters become difficult as one party or the other looks at any new initiative with suspicion, fearing it may be aimed at boosting the fortunes of its competitors. It should not be a surprise, therefore, if the revival of the Nelson Mandela Bay Civil Society Coalition causes apprehension for some political parties.
However, as citizens, we need to welcome the initiative as the revival happens at a time when our metro needs as much brainpower as possible to solve the poly-crises we face. We also welcome the fact that the coalition is agitating for a service delivery plan with clear targets that can be monitored and evaluated. Among the immediate actions that need to be taken, the civil society coalition has argued, is the appointment of a permanent municipal manager, being transparent in the appointment process for senior managers, reducing water leaks and closure of noncompliant scrapyard dealers.
All of these are actions that would enjoy the support of most of the city’s residents. Hopefully, the city’s political leadership would not see all of this as civil society and business trying to meddle in the metro government’s business. They should rather see it a citizen-wide effort to help build a better Nelson Mandela Bay metro. Throughout SA, the weakening of public institutions has seen business and civil society jump in to assist — some are helping cities like Johannesburg to fix their potholes while others are assisting Durban and other coastal cities to clean up their beachfronts and win back tourists.
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