Category: Social Harbour

Nelson Mandela Bay is grappling with a worsening water crisis, adding pressure to a metro already challenged by rising crime and infrastructure strain. Dam levels across the city have dropped to about 40%, while daily water consumption continues to exceed what the system can sustainably supply.

The metro is currently using close to 390–400 million litres of water per day—far above its designed capacity of 280 million litres. This imbalance has left many suburbs experiencing intermittent water supply or complete outages, particularly in western and central areas of the city.

According to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality (NMBM), a combination of aging infrastructure, power disruptions and critical maintenance at major treatment facilities has intensified the problem. Upgrades at the Nooitgedagt Water Treatment Works, including the installation of new industrial equipment, temporarily reduced production levels and created daily water shortfalls. As a result, reservoirs have struggled to recover, leaving the system vulnerable to even minor disruptions.

Electricity interruptions have further destabilised supply. Several water treatment works and pump stations have experienced repeated power outages, and even brief power dips have caused pump failures that require specialist intervention to restore operations.

Vandalism and deliberate damage to key pipelines have added another layer of difficulty. Major leaks and recurring pipe bursts have forced emergency repairs, temporarily halting water transfers and affecting surrounding communities.

The situation is expected to worsen periodically due to scheduled power maintenance, which will take some water treatment facilities offline for extended hours. Large reservoir zones such as Chelsea, Emerald Hill and Lovemore Heights—supplying suburbs including Baywest, Lorraine, Walmer Heights and Newton Park—remain among the most affected.

The Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber has warned that the metro is facing a “perfect storm” of declining dam levels, excessive consumption and water losses caused by leaks and illegal connections. Current usage is more than 100 million litres per day above sustainable targets, while nearly half of treated water is reportedly lost before reaching consumers.

Extreme heat and wildfires have placed additional strain on the already fragile system, as firefighting efforts require large volumes of water at a time when reserves are critically low. Business leaders have expressed concern that lessons from the near “Day Zero” crisis of 2021 have not been adequately applied.

Despite these challenges, successful past initiatives show that coordinated action can make a measurable difference. Leak-repair programmes supported by businesses previously saved millions of litres per day and significantly reduced water consumption in high-risk areas.

Three Key Initiatives to Help Save Water

As Nelson Mandela Bay works to stabilise its water supply, residents, businesses and institutions all have a role to play. Three practical initiatives could help reduce pressure on the system:

1. Fix and Report Leaks Immediately
   Household leaks, burst pipes and dripping taps collectively waste millions of litres each day. Residents should repair leaks promptly and report municipal leaks through official channels to ensure faster response times.
2. Expand Water Reuse and Harvesting
   Using greywater for gardens, toilets and cleaning can significantly reduce potable water use. Rainwater harvesting tanks—especially at schools, businesses and public facilities—can supplement supply during dry periods.
3. Adopt Community Water-Saving Partnerships
   Programmes like “Adopt a School” or “Adopt a Leak” allow businesses and community groups to fund repairs, upgrade plumbing and monitor water use in high-impact areas, delivering measurable water savings.

A Call for Urgent Action

The municipality has pledged to improve monitoring, strengthen response systems and intensify efforts to reduce water losses. However, officials and business leaders agree that behaviour change is just as critical.

Using water sparingly, investing in conservation solutions and acting before the crisis deepens could determine whether Nelson Mandela Bay avoids another near-disaster. The cost of acting now, many warn, is far lower than the cost of doing nothing.

Every year, thousands of young people from rural towns and villages across the Eastern Cape journey to larger cities such as Port Elizabeth and East London to pursue higher education. For many, it’s a dream fulfilled, the first in their families to attend university or college, the first to glimpse a future beyond poverty. Yet, beneath the excitement of new beginnings lies a silent and troubling reality.

Many of these students, once grounded by community and family structure, suddenly find themselves navigating unfamiliar environments with newfound independence, and with it, access to financial aid through the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS). While intended to cover tuition, accommodation, and essential living costs, these funds often become a source of temptation. Without proper guidance or accountability, misuse of NSFAS money has become a growing concern.

In some cases, students spend funds meant for education on luxuries, entertainment, or lifestyles beyond their means, often trying to fill emotional or social gaps that come with being far from home. The consequences extend far beyond the financial: many find themselves entangled in debt, academic failure, and even moral compromise.

For female students, this struggle can take an even darker turn. Coming from deeply impoverished backgrounds, some young women, driven by the pressure to support their families or maintain dignity among peers, fall prey to relationships with older, wealthier men, trading their safety and worth for financial support. This heartbreaking reality reflects not moral failure, but a crisis of hope and guidance. It shows how poverty, pressure, and lack of mentorship can make vulnerable hearts seek provision in dangerous places.

Education should open doors to purpose, not lead students away from the values that once anchored them. Universities, churches, and communities must work hand in hand to provide mentorship, moral grounding, and financial literacy, helping students use their resources wisely and live with dignity.

True freedom is not found in unmonitored access to money or opportunity, but in discipline, wisdom, and faith. When we seal God’s Word in our hearts, we gain the discernment to make choices that build rather than destroy; to steward blessings instead of squandering them.

As a society, let us support and encourage our students, and pray that their pursuit of education may remain aligned with purpose, that no one may lose themselves in the city lights, and that every opportunity becomes a step toward transforming their families and communities through righteousness and wisdom.

Taking its title from the global hit by Miley Cyrus, I Can Buy Myself Flowers is a sharp and entertaining one-woman comedy-drama about Natalie Jackson, a fifty-something estate agent who reflects on the rollercoaster of relationships, raising children, career ambitions, and the value of women’s friendships.

Natalie, portrayed by Erika Breytenbach, embodies the contradictions of her generation: old enough for multiple marriages, young enough to be unburdened by apartheid’s legacy, and woman enough to face menopause with humor and grit. Alongside five close friends—collectively dubbing themselves the “Six-in-the-City” WhatsApp group—she navigates the triumphs and insecurities that come with professional and personal life. Years of therapy, the inspiration of female colleagues, and the challenges of patriarchal family structures shape her journey toward living unapologetically on her own terms.

The play is penned by acclaimed writer Mike van Graan, whose many honors include the Independent Theatre Award for My Fellow South Africans, and directed by Toni Morkel. Co-produced by MVG Productions and Unlikely Productions, the 65-minute show carries a PG16 age restriction and has been praised for its wit and relatability since premiering at Cape Town’s Drama Factory earlier this year.

Designed as a highly portable production, I Can Buy Myself Flowers has been staged at theatres, festivals, and unconventional spaces alike. After successful runs in Durban, the Garden Route, and at the National Arts Festival in Makhanda, it now makes its way to the Isithatha Theatre in Walmer on September 8 and 9 at 7.30pm.

Tickets can be booked at www.isithatha.co.za/tickets

Nelson Mandela University’s Bird Street Gallery in Central marked a milestone on the evening of 27 August when it opened its latest exhibition, Trace and Transition. The showcase, which began at 5:30pm, commemorated the gallery’s 10th anniversary and featured an array of creative works by staff members from the Department of Visual Arts in the Faculty of Humanities.

Curator Jonathan van der Walt described the anniversary exhibition as a significant moment for the University.
“It reflects the many dimensions of the gallery,” he explained. “Once a colonial and heritage building, it was reimagined as a contemporary gallery space – one that functions not only as an exhibition venue but also as a centre for teaching and research. The theme Trace and Transition reflects the layers of history as well as the vision of progress.”

He highlighted how the Department of Visual Arts continued to evolve. “There has been a continuous flow of new voices, both staff and students, alongside curriculum changes. We wanted this exhibition to capture those journeys and transformations.”

The official opening featured an address by Professor Pieter Binsbergen, Head of the Department, as well as a short speech by Van der Walt. Guests were welcomed to enjoy refreshments after the formalities.

Spanning ceramics, textiles, painting, sculpture, photography, fashion, digital media, and video, the exhibition also presented collaborative projects between staff members.

Although the Bird Street Gallery itself was relatively young, having opened in 2015 within the Eendrag Building (formerly Fleming House), it drew on a much longer artistic legacy. Nelson Mandela University inherited the country’s oldest existing art school, first founded as the Port Elizabeth Art School in 1882. Initially located in the Athenaeum Building in Athol Fugard Terrace (then Belmont Terrace), the school later moved into Bird Street during the establishment of the University of Port Elizabeth in the 1950s.

Today, while the School of Visual and Performing Arts is primarily situated at North Campus in Summerstrand, the Bird Street precinct remains a vibrant centre for arts and music, housing both historic buildings and postgraduate programmes.

Trace and Transition was scheduled to run until 8 October 2025, with weekday visiting hours from 9am to 4pm.