The Patriotic Alliance has named Bradley Murray as its Nelson Mandela Bay mayoral candidate, with party president Gayton McKenzie pledging action on service delivery, municipal debt and job creation.
This comes as the Feather Market Centre, where the launch was held on Monday evening, was packed with PA supporters.
Murray, a former councillor and political head for roads and transport, said that since the PA left the coalition with the ANC and other parties in November 2024, building its structures and growing its support in the metro had been the party’s priority.
He said the party was now seeking an opportunity to govern and implement the plans it had previously campaigned on.
He outlined several campaign priorities, including municipal debt, employment equity, foreign-owned shops, electricity, water, unemployment and crime.
“We are saying write off the debt of everybody who has a property worth R1m and less,” Murray said.
“All the other things like electricity, the water, the unemployment, the crime, these are things that we know we need to fix.
“We definitely need to fix it, but we need to start with the head, which is that we must get a permanent city manager as soon as possible so we can get all the other spheres of department heads put in place.”
McKenzie backed Murray’s candidacy, saying residents had already given both the ANC and DA opportunities to govern the metro without seeing the changes they wanted.
He said the PA was asking residents to give the party five years to govern Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The people of Nelson Mandela Bay have given the ANC mayor a chance,” McKenzie said.
“They’ve given the DA mayor a chance. Still, their lives have not changed.
“It is time to give the Patriotic Alliance a chance.
“We will change Nelson Mandela Bay.”
McKenzie said the municipality should also support local musicians and create opportunities for young people, arguing that talented people from Nelson Mandela Bay should not have to leave the city to gain recognition.
“The young people must go to Johannesburg to be recognised in all spheres, whether it’s in journalism, whether it’s in acting, whether it’s in singing,” he said.
“Why should they leave Nelson Mandela Bay to go and be recognised in Johannesburg?
“It is wrong. You drive in town, and there are old buildings here.
“Then, the one big marching order we have is that any business that hires illegal foreigners, we must make sure there’s a bylaw that makes us deal with those types of businesses.”
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