Dr Pierre Voges (centre) has been appointed as the interim CEO of the Mandela Bay Development Agency. He was welcomed by MBDA chairperson Khulile Nzo (left) and NMB Deputy Mayor Gary van Niekerk. (Photo: Supplied / MBDA)
A decade after his departure from the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), the entity’s inaugural CEO has returned.
But Pierre Voges is not looking to implement any groundbreaking innovations or “sexy” new developments. He wants to get the basics in place so that the agency can help Nelson Mandela Bay move in the right direction again.
“I’ve always had a passion for Nelson Mandela Bay. I’ve always felt comfortable here, and I think the city offers its residents a great lifestyle.
“Granted, it looks a bit shabby at the moment, but I believe it is very fixable. We just need to get the basics right,” said Voges.
His appointment as the MBDA’s interim CEO for the next five months was announced this week in a move the agency believes will bring stability to the organisation following a period of “governance concerns and leadership challenges”.
Former CEO Anele Qaba was suspended in December 2025, and dismissed in March 2026 on the grounds of “material breach, misconduct and loss of trust”.
“Since his dismissal, the former CEO has launched several legal proceedings, and these are still ongoing, which prevents the post from being filled permanently at this stage. To maintain continuity, finance manager Unathi Peter was appointed acting CEO from January to early July 2026,” said the MBDA.
/file/attachments/orphans/MBDACEO2_238210.jpeg "Former MBDA CEO Anele Qaba. (Photo: Facebook / MBDA)")
“This step ensured that investigations could proceed without risk of interference, while the board prepared to strengthen leadership capacity through the appointment of an interim CEO.”
Voges was the agency’s first CEO when it was established in 2004. After his departure in 2016 he headed up large-scale planning and development organisations in the Western Cape and Saudi Arabia before retiring.
Voges said he had returned to Nelson Mandela Bay to give back to a community he loves.
“I have family in Cape Town and in the UK, but for some reason Gqeberha has always felt like a second home to me, and I have an emotional attachment here.
“I am retired. I’m turning 66 soon. But I want to plough back into a community and organisation that gave me a lot when I was here last time.”
Getting the basics right
Voges said the MBDA has gone in a very different direction than he intended when he left a decade ago, and his goal was to get the basics right so that it can play an integral role in the improvement of the metro.
He said the MBDA needed to focus on security, cleanliness and maintenance.
“When I came back, I was told I can no longer walk from the MBDA offices to my flat in Summerstrand in the evening as it has become too dangerous. It is unacceptable that a person should feel this unsafe in their own city.
“If we can work with the city, make security a priority, then I believe many other things will fall into place as well.”
He said cleaning the streets was also a very attainable goal. And simple maintenance, like the upkeep of paved sidewalks, was just as tangible.
/file/attachments/orphans/MBDACEO3_351384.jpg "The Mandela Bay Development Agency's headquarters in Tramways. (Photo: Supplied / MBDA)<br> <br>")
“I am only here for five months. My goals are not sexy, but I believe by getting the basics we can create a good foundation for the next CEO to take up the reins,” said Voges.
He likened himself to a strong and steady lock in a rugby team, piling into a loose maul and setting up the ideal position for the ball to reach the wing for a flashy try.
“This city is very fixable, and it offers a great lifestyle to anyone who lives here. It has good facilities, great schools and a lot of potential,” said Voges.
The MBDA said it had received 88 applications for the position and the board conducted an extensive and fair recruitment process. Voges’s experience and vision for the city made him the ideal candidate.
“Voges highlighted the elements that make urban life truly liveable: feeling safe enough to walk freely, enjoying warm waters to swim in, seeing art expressed in streets and theatres, having access to affordable restaurants and entertainment, and ensuring schooling is within reach.
“Above all, he emphasised an openness to diversity and a city guided by culture and spirit — qualities he believes Gqeberha can achieve.” DM