DA mayoral candidate says LGE will ‘make or break’ Nelson Mandela Bay

By Akani Nkuna

Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal has warned that the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE) will be decisive for Nelson Mandela Bay, calling on voters to give the party an outright majority.

Addressing hundreds of party supporters at the George Botha Community Sport Centre in Bethelsdorp, Eastern Cape, on Thursday, Odendaal said the DA was seeking an outright majority to avoid what he described as the “chaos of coalitions”.

“A DA majority government will put the power to govern where it belongs, in the hands of the voters, not the coalition powerbrokers. This election is our chance to rescue NMB. It is our last real opportunity to turn the city around before the damage becomes permanent,” he said.

Odendaal was removed as Nelson Mandela Bay mayor in 2023 after nine months in office following a motion of no confidence tabled by the EFF.

He was accused of failing to act against his then deputy mayor, Mkhuseli Jack, after an Auditor-General report found that companies linked to Jack had conducted business with the municipality, raising concerns about a conflict of interest.

Nelson Mandela Bay is currently governed by an ANC-led coalition that includes the EFF and other parties.

A News24/SABI poll put the DA’s support in the metro at 44%, followed by the ANC at 24%. The poll also suggested that turnout could be a factor in determining whether the DA secures an outright majority.

The poll indicated that the DA could also explore a coalition with smaller parties, excluding the ANC, if it failed to secure a majority on its own.

Odendaal blamed the ANC-led coalition for the city’s problems and accused ANC leaders of corruption, nepotism and putting their own interests first. He said a DA-led administration would tackle these issues.

“We cannot afford another