A call for accountable local representation
We, the undersigned residents and supporters, call on the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipal Council to establish a Kariega/Dispatch Sub-Council at its first meeting following the November 2026 local government elections.
Our call is driven by persistent and unacceptable failures in service delivery affecting communities in Kariega and Dispatch. Residents should not have to struggle to get basic problems heard, reported and addressed. When services fail and concerns go unanswered, people lose trust in local government and the burden falls hardest on the communities who depend on it most.
A dedicated sub-council would give residents a regular, local forum to raise urgent concerns, question municipal representatives and press for clear responses. It cannot replace the Municipality’s duty to deliver services, but it can help make that duty more visible, accountable and responsive.
We therefore demand that the newly elected Council:
1. Place the establishment of the Kariega/Dispatch Sub-Council on the agenda of its first meeting after the November 2026 elections.
2. Adopt a resolution establishing the sub-council, in accordance with applicable legislation and municipal procedures.
3. Set out its membership, area of responsibility, meeting schedule and delegated functions, and provide meaningful opportunities for residents to shape its work.
4. Ensure that residents can use the sub-council to raise service-delivery failures and receive clear, documented responses from the Municipality.
Kariega and Dispatch deserve more than promises and silence. Their residents deserve a meaningful voice, visible accountability and a local structure that keeps their concerns in front of the Council. We call on all councillors to support this petition and act on it at the first opportunity after the election.