In an unprecedented move, a coalition of church leaders from Nelson Mandela Bay have called on President Cyril Ramaphosa and Premier Oscar Mabuyane to dissolve the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro’s council. In a strongly worded letter, they warn that failure to act could have serious electoral consequences for the ANC and its coalition partners in the 2026 local government elections.
In a scathing letter sent to both President Cyril Ramaphosa and Premier Oscar Mabuyane, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro’s church leaders have warned that they will urge their congregations to make “informed choices” during next year’s local government elections.
The meaning of this veiled threat is made clear in the rest of the letter. This is the first time in decades that the church has sent a public warning to a sitting local government.
In 2011, the late Bishop Desmond Tutu, at a high-level press conference, announced to the world that the church would pray for the ANC’s downfall after the government had refused the Dalai Lama a visa.
This time, the call is aimed squarely at the metro’s collapse.
