---
title: "Ignored warnings led to fuel crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay amid flooding chaos"
description: "Bay officials ignored two warnings about an expiring fuel contract, resulting in a crisis as the city faced severe flooding and emergency response delays."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "RUNNING ON EMPTY"
author: "Estelle Ellis"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/estelle-ellis/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-17-ignored-warnings-led-to-fuel-crisis-in-nelson-mandela-bay-amid-flooding-chaos/"
published: "2026-05-17T19:30:07"
updated: "2026-05-18T06:39:52"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 509
---

# Ignored warnings led to fuel crisis in Nelson Mandela Bay amid flooding chaos

> Bay officials ignored two warnings about an expiring fuel contract, resulting in a crisis as the city faced severe flooding and emergency response delays.

By Estelle Ellis · Published 17 May 2026, 21:30 SAST · Updated 18 May 2026, 08:39 SAST

## Key points
- Fuel Crisis: The Nelson Mandela Bay metro experienced a critical fuel shortage after its contract lapsed, exacerbated by severe flooding and lack of leadership — yet information shows that metro officials were warned twice about the contract’s expiration date.
- Community Support: NGO Gift of the Givers intervened, providing R50,000 for fuel, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
- Ignored Warnings: Civil Society Coalition raised alarm over repeated warnings to renew the fuel contract, indicating a failure in municipal oversight and safety priorities.
- Government Scrutiny: A parliamentary committee is investigating alleged mismanagement and irregularities in contract processes, stressing the impact on residents' services.

## Content

On 30 April, the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality ran out of fuel after its supply contract expired — a preventable administrative failure that left the city struggling to respond to emergencies amid severe flooding and without a city manager in place.

At the time, the municipality confirmed that it had depleted its fuel reserves, bringing emergency vehicles and essential service delivery fleets across the metro to a standstill. The disaster response NGO Gift of the Givers bailed the metro out, providing R50,000 for emergency fuel.

[Read more

Nelson Mandela Bay floods expose infrastructure strain — 101 complaints logged in three days

May 13, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/i5-yyxQAoUZ4OWwEfs7ZZ_HYYis=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/orphans/Flooding2_841268.jpg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-13-nelson-mandela-bay-floods-expose-infrastructure-strain-101-complaints-logged-in-three-days/)

The metro’s director of communications, Sithembiso Soyaya, had previously promised, in a written statement on behalf of Mayor Babalwa Lobishe, to keep residents of Nelson Mandela Bay updated on the progress of the fuel contract. That commitment was not fulfilled.

A question submitted by the Civil Society Coalition was also ignored: why were repeated warnings to renew the fuel contract not acted on?

The chairperson of the coalition, Monga Peter, said warnings about the fuel contract's expiration date were repeatedly raised in the metro’s Joint Operations Centre, but went unheeded. This, he said, raised serious questions about whether the metro had any regard for residents’ safety.

![Andisa-CogtaTeam](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/hrFXgO5Uv6Kvd_xk7iIQkL4MDZ4=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/Monga-Peter_666942.jpg)

*The chairperson of the Civil Society Coalition, Monga Peter. (Photo: Andisa Bonani)*

Despite promising answers to Daily Maverick for a week, Soyaya failed to deliver. We had specifically asked about the extra costs incurred by the lapsed contract and what accountability measures were being implemented.

[Read more

Nelson Mandela Bay metro fails to renew fuel contract — emergency services left vulnerable

May 5, 2026 ![Image](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/8Y9jXmK0Ckz6GWBqN-G7byYtG-8=/450x0/smart/file/attachments/orphans/WhatsAppImage2026-04-24at131126_458396.jpeg)](https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-05-05-nelson-mandela-bay-metro-fails-to-renew-fuel-contract-emergency-services-left-vulnerable/)

Documented warnings reveal that the project manager for the metro’s fuel contract was alerted on 30 October and again on 31 December to renew the agreement. Yet, no action was taken until 11 March, and the renewal application was only submitted on 1 April — a mere 30 days before the contract expired. This left the metro out of time, given the legal requirement that tender invitations must be advertised for at least 30 days.

It was further confirmed that on the day the contract renewal application was filed, the project manager filed an application for an emergency deviation.

A week after the contract expired, the parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs expressed its dismay at the metro’s contract management.

The chairperson of the committee, Dr Zweli Mkhize, noted that there were probably irregularities in several contracts, as the municipality’s documents showed that some officials were not convinced by the reasons given for the cancellation of certain procurement processes.

He said the committee would refer the matter to the National Treasury and the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for investigation and request a report within a month.

He cautioned municipal leaders to ensure the accuracy of the information they submitted.

The committee issued a statement noting that “residents ultimately bear the cost when funds meant for service delivery are not spent because of poor planning, weak monitoring and underperformance”. **DM**