NGCOBO, Eastern Cape — The Ngcobo Yethu Civic Organisation is officially transitioning from grassroots activism to electoral politics, launching its manifesto ahead of the November 4 local government elections. Born out of deep community frustration regarding municipal governance and service delivery in the Dr AB Xuma Local Municipality, the movement is now seeking to translate its street-level mobilization into formal political power.
Established over the past two years, the civic organization rose to prominence by organizing protests and uniting stakeholders through the Engcobo Crisis Committee. Residents have highlighted severe service delivery failures, including a lack of basic roads and water, high youth unemployment driving drug abuse, and collapsed bridges that have forced the closure of local schools. Furthermore, the movement has alleged widespread corruption, nepotism, and the abandonment of incomplete municipal projects.
After feeling ignored by provincial and national Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) leadership, the group escalated its grievances to the Office of the President in Pretoria. This prompted a national intervention team to tour the area and witness the conditions firsthand. However, the mayoral candidate and leader of the organization noted that despite two years of protests and demands for the arrest of corrupt officials, no tangible action was taken. Consequently, the leadership decided that contesting the elections and securing a seat at the decision-making table was the most viable path forward.
“We have been protesting for the past two years, crying for service delivery and crying that the people that are corrupt must be arrested, but none of that happened,” the mayoral candidate explained. He emphasized that the organization’s leadership is independent and self-funded, arguing that entering government is far more effective than remaining in the opposition. “Let us go and contest them as people that have the interest at heart of the people of Ngcobo,” he added.
The transition to formal politics has been marked by severe security challenges. The mayoral candidate, who was recently discharged from the hospital after being shot, revealed that he and three other crisis committee members were targeted by unknown gunmen. He alleged the attack was directly linked to their activism and occurred just days before they were scheduled to receive a progress report on an ongoing investigation into the municipality’s governance. A heavy presence of South African Police Service (SAPS) members was noted at the manifesto launch to ensure security.
Despite being a new political formation, the movement has garnered significant grassroots backing. Community supporters argue that the civic organization is more in touch with local struggles than established political parties. Additionally, traditional leaders have publicly endorsed the movement, emphasizing the urgent need for improved services and collaborative governance. As the November elections approach, the ultimate test for the Ngcobo Yethu Civic Organisation will be whether it can sustain its fight for accountability and deliver practical solutions once in office.
