DA boldly launches campaign for ex-mayor Retief Odendaal to retake Nelson Mandela Bay

The Democratic Alliance (DA) officially launched its mayoral campaign in Nelson Mandela Bay on Monday, making bold promises and calling on the metro’s residents to stamp out corruption and vote out the governing ANC.

The Nelson Mandela Bay council consists of 120 seats, with 13 political parties. The ANC is the leading party with 48 seats, but falls short of the requisite 61 to govern alone. The coalition consists of the ANC, EFF, National Alliance, African Independent Congress and the PAC, with a total of 61 seats.

Their renewed campaign was led by a familiar face, a former mayor who believes his roots make him the perfect candidate to lead the city into a new era.

“We’ve had a test run, and delivered. Of course, nine months isn’t nearly long enough to turn our city around. We need a clear five-year term and that is only possible if you make it so,” said DA mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal.

In May 2023, Odendaal was ousted from his position as mayor through a vote of no confidence. 

Read more: DA-led coalition government loses control of Nelson Mandela Bay Council in chaotic meeting

Odendaal grew up only a stone’s throw away from where his party launched its mayoral campaign in Algoa Park. He spoke of his humble upbringing, matriculating at Otto Du Plessis High School, studying at Nelson Mandela University, and starting a family and a business in the city.

He has been active in politics for two decades, and between 2022 and 2023 he was mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay for nine months.

Under his leadership the city was awarded its first unqualified audit in 12 years, which Odendaal said was achieved through efficient service delivery, effective spending of public money and proper maintenance of crucial infrastructure. 

“We did this by dealing decisively with corrupt officials. And this is not me or the DA saying so; it’s the Auditor-General saying so.”

He laid the blame for the city’s shortcomings squarely on the governing ANC. He likened other ANC-led municipalities to war zones and said Nelson Mandela Bay is quickly going down the same path.

“Take a drive through Missionvale, KwaNobuhle, Bethelsdorp, New Brighton, Central or Kariega, you’ll see roads are crumbling, rubbish on most corners and sewage flowing through the streets.

“Every third traffic light, every fourth streetlight, every second road. Broken, faulty, crumbling.”

Odendaal said the upcoming election was an opportunity to reverse the damage before it is too late, and to turn Nelson Mandela Bay into a well-run city and restore residents’ trust in government. 

He said there will be zero tolerance for corruption and incompetence, tender agreements will be audited, supply chain management will be scrutinised and critical vacancies will be filled with qualified professionals.

To address growing concerns over crime, a functioning camera network will be installed, and specialised task forces will be established to target priority crimes such as gang violence, cable theft, vandalism and kidnappings. 

Metro police and traffic officials, as well as Neighbourhood Watch groups, will also be better resourced to play an active role in crime-fighting efforts.

DA leader John Steenhuisen also attended the campaign launch and threw his weight behind Odendaal to lead Nelson Mandela Bay.

“The Democratic Alliance does not put ideology or identity at the centre of its politics. It prioritises people. Unlike other parties, the DA will not make ridiculous promises which it has no intention of keeping. This explains why the DA dominates the centre of South Africa’s politics in exactly the same way that people are at the centre of our concern.

“Retief Odendaal will serve you honestly, fairly and tirelessly. He lives here. He raises his children here. This is his home. He wants it to succeed, just like you do. He has proved that he’ll give you fixed roads and pipes, restore water, make sure the lights are on and he’s paid the bills. He’s put you first before, and he’ll put you first again”

Steenhuisen said on the one hand the NMB Electricity and Energy Directorate spent R707-million more than it earned from electricity sales, while on the other hand the municipality failed to spend R152-million of its maintenance budget. 

“So, what are they buying with all your electricity payments, when they can’t even use some of that money to maintain crumbling electricity infrastructure?

“From dry taps to half-built sports fields, communities are paying the price of government incompetence. In Nelson Mandela Bay itself, grant funding of 13% wasn’t spent last year.”

With regards to the broader Eastern Cape, Steenhuisen said industry and agriculture were dependent on working infrastructure, particularly around the Bay’s crucial ports, to export goods - including cars, automotive components, fruit, vegetables, wool, mohair and other commodities - as well as secure foreign investment. 

“We know the violence that has occurred in protest against service delivery failures, like the barricading of major roads, such as the R75 - access routes to Kariega - which was blocked by burning tyres.

“In the Eastern Cape, over the past three years, more than R1.3-billion in infrastructure funding has gone unspent, even as basic services collapse and residents continue to suffer. 

“That means that the money is there, but that the local ANC governing coalition is too corrupt and incompetent to spend it on what the people need,” Steenhuisen said.

Read more: Church leaders urge radical change in Nelson Mandela Bay’s governance ahead of local elections

He said under the leadership of Odendaal the DA will aim to create a safe environment where business can grow, where municipal departments deliver services and get the basics right - like restoring streetlights, roads, water, sanitation.

“When considering who to vote for, it’s not about their ideology or whether you’ve voted for them before. It’s quite simply this: Will they spend my tax money on giving me what the Constitution says I must have?” Steenhuisen said. DM