LGE 2026: Get to know your Nelson Mandela Bay candidates
As parties battle to take control of the Metro ahead of the local government elections, mayoral candidates are laying out their vision to rebuild politics that have hindered consistent governance.
Four candidates made the African National Congress (ANC)’s August shortlist: Babalwa Lobishe (current mayor), Andile Lungisa (former councillor and ANC NEC member), Xolani Vela (corporate executive), Nontombi “Ntombi” Nama (deputy regional secretary). Babalwa Lobishe has been mayor since October 2024. She is a former Eastern Cape MPL and served on the mayoral committees of Ben Fihla and Danny Jordaan. She was elected as the ANC’s regional chairperson in 2021.
Regarding Andile Lungisa, his failed nomination process has exposed administrative, legal, and deep factional crises within the ANC. He can now return only through a supplementary list after the election.
Retief Odendaal is the Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate. Odendaal says his time as mayor was a test run and wants a full five-year term to finish the job, stating,
We can get Nelson Mandela Bay working again.
Gary Van Niekerk is the National Alliance (NA) candidate. He is a former council Speaker and became mayor in May 2023, after Retief Odendaal was ousted. In October 2024 the ANC, as the coalition’s biggest party, claimed the mayoralty.
Mvuleni Mapu is the MK Party’s mayoral candidate. His trial starts on 8 December, after the election.