Several prominent political figures in Nelson Mandela Bay go into Wednesday's South African local government elections facing criminal cases or allegations, Daily Maverick reports. Among them is Siyanda Mayana, leader of the new People's Power party, who was arrested at a roadblock on Friday night on suspicion of drink-driving. Police said he was released on bail and is due in court in April 2027, pending a blood test. Mayana told the paper he had only two drinks and was not drunk.
The paper lists six leading local politicians who have been linked to legal trouble, past or present. They include the executive mayor, Babalwa Lobishe, who faces a Democratic Alliance court application seeking to make her personally repay any unlawful spending linked to the lease of a municipal transformer to a private company, a deal Mayana first raised concerns about.
Source: Daily Maverick