Nqaba Bhanga Nelson Mandela Bay mayor

Photo via Twitter: @DA_ECapePD

Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Nqaba Bhanga ready to fight ‘lawlessness and COVID-19

“Together we can take Nelson Mandela Bay forward – we have done it before and we will do it again.”

Nqaba Bhanga Nelson Mandela Bay mayor

Photo via Twitter: @DA_ECapePD

Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Nqaba Bhanga was elected as the new Executive Mayor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro just days after the metro was declared as a COVID-19 hotspot.

Bhanga, who was the only nominee, resigned from the provincial legislature early this year to focus his energy on becoming the new Executive Mayor.

“Together we can take Nelson Mandela Bay forward. We have done it before and we will do it again.”

Nqaba Bhanga

Nqaba Bhanga elected as NMB Metro mayor

COVID-19 and lawlessness

Speaking to eNCA, Bhanga said the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro is facing two problems: Lawlessness and the spread of misinformation around the COVID-19 pandemic. He plans on changing that.

Bhanga explained that the two biggest issues are as a result of the “absence of leadership” in the metro, which inevitably led to Nelson Mandela Bay declared as a COVID-19 hotspot on Thursday, 3 December 2020.

Bhanga plans on rectifying the situation by “increasing enforcement, and respect of the rules and regulations”. He will also launch a campaign to educate residents about COVID-19.

“We are going to […] put a lot of enforcement to make sure of law and order. We will also put a campaign about educating our people about COVID-19”.

Bhanga said he will bring businesses on board as well, and that his team will “have roadblocks everywhere to make sure that people comply.”

Nelson Mandela Bay declared a hotspot

The new restrictions in the Metro include a revised curfew which will be in place between 22:00 and 4:00. In addition, the sale of alcohol will only be permitted between 10:00 and 18:00 from Mondays to Thursdays.

President Cyril Ramaphosa warned that alcohol-related trauma admissions are making it harder for medical staff to assist those in need. Furthermore, it takes resources away from patients who require COVID-19 treatment.

As new hotspots are being identified, the president highlighted the importance of adhering to social distancing protocols. In addition, the government is geared to introduce tighter restrictions in areas.

Also read: Here’s why the Garden Route avoided tougher lockdown restrictions

COVID-19 update

Over the course of several weeks, we’ve seen an alarming surge in COVID-19 infections in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, the Garden Route, Cape Town and the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro.

At the of publishing, South Africa recorded 4 932 new COVID-19 infections and 160 more deaths. As of Friday, 4 December 2020, SA now has a caseload of 805 804 infections, of which 740 450 patients have recovered.

To date, more than 66 million coronavirus cases have been identified worldwide. Nearly 46 million people have recovered, while 1.5 million passed away. The US is currently the most-affected country in the world, having identified 14 774 167 cases.