Nelson mandela bay: The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Velenkosini Hlabisa, is set to lead a strategic engagement with key stakeholders in Nelson Mandela Bay, Eastern Cape, on Saturday, 6 December. This session aims to enhance collaboration between government, business, and civil society following an initial meeting held on 26 September.
According to South African Government News Agency, the engagement will include the Ministry of CoGTA, the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Municipality, Eastern Cape CoGTA, and the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber. Hlabisa will be joined by the Eastern Cape CoGTA MEC, Zolile Williams. During the previous engagement, various concerns were highlighted, including instability in municipal leadership, service delivery failures, and infrastructure deterioration, which have hindered the metro's economic potential. The need for predictable governance, operational improvements, and strengthened partnerships to support investment and job creation was also emphasized.
This upcoming strategic session will review the progress made since the September meeting and provide a platform for key sectors to present their perspectives. The programme will offer an overview of the Nelson Mandela Bay economy, present the Nelson Mandela Bay Civil Society Coalition's perspective on the socio-economic conditions in the metro, and discuss the state of the municipality. Additionally, it will address plans to tackle service delivery challenges and explore opportunities for partnerships and collaboration.
The department stated that this strategic engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen partnerships that drive economic recovery, job creation, and improved service delivery through the District Development Model (DDM).