Khusta Jack has resigned from the Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral committee, citing failure of governance under Babalwa Lobishe’s administration. (Photo: Supplied) Anti-apartheid stalwart and Nelson Mandela Bay councillor Mkhuseli “Khusta” Jack resigned as a mayoral committee member on Thursday, accusing executive mayor Babalwa Lobishe’s administration of failing residents.
Jack, founder and the sole councillor for the Abantu Integrity Movement (AIM), resigned as political head of the municipality’s human resources and corporate services department with immediate effect.
His departure does not collapse the coalition, which still retains enough partners to govern the metro, but it exposes growing tensions within the coalition before the 2026 local elections.
Writing to Lobishe, Jack said his conscience did not allow him to remain as part of the coalition.
/file/attachments/2990/WhatsAppImage2026-03-31at191450_637082.jpeg "Members of the coalition government in Nelson Mandela Bay metro. (Photo: Andisa Bonani)")
“I write to tender my resignation from the mayoral committee with immediate effect. On behalf of my organisation, Abantu Integrity Movement, I want to express gratitude for having been afforded the opportunity to serve on the metro government in a critical role,” he said.
“However, over time, I have become disillusioned with the manner in which governance in this administration has deteriorated under your leadership.
“The daily upswelling of anger among various stakeholder formations from community groups to organised business is testament to the fact that this government is failing in its first responsibility, which is to render services to the people of Nelson Mandela Bay. I cannot in good conscience continue to be part of an administration that is failing our people under your leadership.”
Jack said he hoped the administration could still find a way to turn things around and honour its contract with the ratepayers, for whom they took an oath of office to “serve with diligence”.
Before Jack confirmed his resignation, he was perceived to be looking for a role on the council after he forfeited his front row seat as a mayoral committee member.
Speaking on the sidelines of the postponed council meeting, Jack said he intended to resign about three weeks ago, after two no-confidence motions against Lobishe were brought to council by Freedom Front Plus and ACDP councillors in March. The motions fell flat after a majority of councillors voted against debating them.
‘Unhappy with mayor’s leadership’
“I can’t divulge much for now, because I will release a statement with details about my reasons behind this decision. But in essence, I was not happy with [how] the mayor has been leading this institution. I informed her regional political leadership that I would vote against her when the motion to oust her was taken to council.
“There is so much that has gone wrong that I decided I no longer want to be part of this coalition government, and that’s all I can say for now,” he said.
Jack resigned at a time when his department failed to finalise the city’s organisational structure and fast-track the appointment of executive directors, among other outstanding issues.
Asked about how the resignation had been received by the mayor and others, a coalition partner who did not want to be named said Jack’s letter was forwarded to the coalition’s WhatsApp group.
“One of the things you should ask Jack is, as he resigns, what did he achieve in that directorate, in what state did he find it and how has it been under his leadership? Is he running away from being exposed for his failures, or are his reasons really genuine?” the coalition partner said.
Fiery riposte
In a video posted by local publication The Herald, Lobishe said Jack had failed the residents of Nelson Mandela Bay, and that she had accepted his resignation.
Lobishe said if Jack had not resigned, she would have fired him.
She claimed that a process had been undertaken to engage “on the failures of his department”.
She said Jack should have dealt with labour issues through the local labour forum, but he had failed to do so. She also claimed the former anti-apartheid activist had not ensured the safety of workers.
‘Troubled coalition’
DA councillor Gustav Rautenbach said the coalition was in trouble over how it led the city.
“Everyone has seen what has become of this city under the governance of this coalition. I’m just surprised there are not more coalition partners who are resigning.
“Service delivery is at a standstill, many communities don’t have water and electricity, while contracts are not being renewed. The responsibility for everything going wrong in this municipality is squarely on them as a collective,” he said.
Activist and organiser
Jack, who was born on 31 May 1958 on the Mosskraal Farm in Humansdorp, was denied entrance to school, so he organised protests demanding education. His protest eventually gained him access to school in the then Port Elizabeth, but his continued anti-apartheid activism for education rights led to several arrests.
He was part of the South African Students Movement (SASM) and the Black Consciousness Movement in the 1970s. In the early 1980s, he played a crucial role in founding and leading the Port Elizabeth Youth Congress, part of the United Democratic Front (UDF).
As part of the struggle against apartheid, he established street committees. To avoid detection, members held their meetings at various roadside locations, making them look like casual social groups.
He recruited neighbourhood leaders to settle disputes and helped form and lead the Consumer Boycott Campaign. In 1986, he was jailed for his role in the campaign and released only three years later.
After building a successful career as a businessman, Jack, along with others, established Save SA, a campaign to have former president Jacob Zuma removed from office as allegations of corruption and State Capture mounted. DM