NELSON MANDELA BAY - HAS LACK OF LEADERSHIP LED TO THE SPIKE OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS ACROSS THE METRO?

The Eastern Cape has seen a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks. 

The declaration of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro as a hotspot by President Cyril Ramaphosa was prompted by rising numbers of infections and communities that reportedly ignored the restrictions.

Currently, the metro has more than 4 000 active cases and a death toll of over 1 900.

But Democratic Alliance councillor who was elected as the Metro’s Mayor on Friday, Nqaba Bhanga, believes that lack of leadership in the metro may have contributed to the rapid spread of COVID-19.

“We have to deal with the scourge of COVID-19, we are a hotspot. It starts with leadership. We have to mobilise and take our people as partners to make sure we put strategies in place. We are going to see enforcement in the city. You will see roadblocks everywhere making sure that people are doing as expected, you will see the visibility of metro police enforcing those regulations.”

Before Bhanga’s election, the metro had been without a mayor for almost a year following the ousting of the late Mongameli Bobani. Some residents believe that this lack of leadership may be behind the resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

But others have blamed the residents. “It’s something that we can never pin into the unavailability of leadership because administratively things were happening. It all goes back to what is it that we tell our children at our homes, what do we advise our brothers and sisters as far as COVID- 19 is concerned.”

It is, however, unclear whether Bhanga will be sworn in as the NMB mayor as the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs has declared the election null and void.

via - SABC