Fuel Crisis Grounds Emergency Services in Nelson Mandela Bay

The Nelson Mandela Bay municipality is grappling with a persistent fuel supply crisis that has once again immobilized essential services, including emergency vehicles. Just last week, on August 5, municipal vehicles were unable to refuel for over 24 hours, marking the third significant disruption since May.

During a council meeting following the incident, DA councillor Jason Grobbelaar expressed his frustration, revealing that the municipality had no active fuel contract, leaving critical services vulnerable. Although Grobbelaar filed an urgent motion for answers regarding the immobilized vehicles, he withdrew it after fuel supplies were restored.

The cause of the disruption appears to be linked to tax compliance issues with the fuel supplier, resulting in the expiration of the city’s fuel contract on April 30. The municipality has since secured a new six-month fuel contract effective from August 6, 2026, but concerns remain about the procurement processes that led to this failure.

Municipal spokesperson Sithembiso Soyaya claimed there were no disruptions affecting operations, contradicting the reality faced by emergency service responders. Grobbelaar highlighted that such outages are detrimental to service delivery, especially for Fire and Emergency Services where delays can have fatal consequences.

With a history of fuel crises in recent months, including a previous situation in May when the NGO Gift of the Givers provided emergency funds for fuel, community leaders are demanding accountability. Grobbelaar has called on acting city manager Lonwabo Ngoqo to address these issues and outline preventive measures for the future.

Source: www.dailymaverick.co.za