Nelson Mandela Bay Metro Deputy Executive Mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, on Thursday, October 31, replaced Gary van Niekerk as the Metro’s mayor.
The former mayor’s spokesperson, Kupido Baron confirmed to PE Express of van Niekerk’s resignation as the Metro’s mayor.
Following Van Niekerk’s resignation, Lobishe was elected as Metro’s new mayor at a council meeting held at the Tramways Building.
Van Niekerk has traded the mayoral chain for the deputy mayor position.
“As part of the re-alignment of the executive, agreed to by all the coalition partners, Executive Mayor Gary van Niekerk tendered his resignation this morning to allow for the election of Councillor Babalwa Lobishe, his Deputy Executive Mayor, to be elected as the thirteenth Executive Mayor since the establishment of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality since December 2001,” Baron said.
