Here are the Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidates for the 2026 polls

As parties battle to take control of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro ahead of the local government elections, mayoral candidates are laying out their vision to rebuild the Eastern Cape metro, which has long been plagued by political instability and service delivery challenges.

The African National Congress (ANC) shortlisted four candidates for the mayoral position: Babalwa Lobishe, the current mayor who has held the post since October 2024; Andile Lungisa, a former councillor and ANC NEC member; Xolani Vela, a corporate executive; and Nontombi “Ntombi” Nama, the deputy regional secretary. Despite the party’s initial plans to announce a final candidate, the process remained unresolved as the election approached.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is fielding Retief Odendaal as its mayoral candidate. Odendaal, who previously served as mayor before being ousted in 2023, has campaigned on a platform of professionalising the municipality and securing a stable majority. He has stated,

We can get Nelson Mandela Bay working again.

The MK Party has put forward Mvuleni Mapu as its mayoral candidate. Meanwhile, the National Alliance (NA) is led by Gary van Niekerk, who is campaigning as the party’s mayoral hopeful while also running for a ward councillor seat, urging residents to reject the traditional political establishment.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have announced Sinawo Thambo as their mayoral candidate for the metro. These candidates are competing in a highly contested environment where recent polls suggest no single party is expected to secure an outright majority, pointing toward the likelihood of another coalition government.