The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs wants Nelson Mandela Bay metropolitan municipality Mayor Babalwa Lobishe, and the municipal leadership to urgently cooperate with Parliament and the committee in addressing noncompliance.

The committee expressed concerns with continued delays in, and incomplete responses to, requests for information following the committee’s oversight engagement with the municipality last year. 

Committee chairperson Dr Zweli Mkhize said the leadership must submit all outstanding information, furnish clear responses to the committee’s queries and meaningfully engage in corrective action, before its appearance before the committee on March 24.

Mkhize explained that continued delays and noncompliance would compel the committee to consider further steps to ensure accountability.

He pointed out that following its oversight visit, the committee formally requested a range of documents and detailed reports from the municipality to enable it to fulfil its constitutional oversight mandate.

He said, since January the committee had engaged in sustained correspondence with the municipality, including multiple formal letters, follow-up communications and requests for clarification.

“Despite these efforts, responses from the municipality have been delayed or incomplete. These requests are not discretionary. 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,” Mkhize explained.

The delays affected Parliament and the committee’s ability to assess progress on critical issues identified during the oversight visit, he said.

“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,” he stated.

The committee further called on the Eastern Cape Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department, particularly the MEC Zolile Williams, to support and, where necessary, intervene to ensure that the municipality complied with its obligations.

He said the role of the provincial department in strengthening oversight, monitoring compliance and supporting municipalities was critical to ensuring that matters raised were addressed effectively.