LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: ‘Battle of the DJs’ in Nelson Mandela Bay’s newly redrawn Ward 5

With the 4 November local government elections fast approaching, two of Nelson Mandela Bay’s most well-known personalities are going head-to-head for the metro’s newly redrawn Ward 5, home to some of its most recognisable landmarks – and some of its most persistent problems.Stretching from Russell Road and City Hall through Central, South End, Forest Hill, Humerail and Humewood to the beachfront and parts of Summerstrand, the ward includes the Donkin Reserve, the Opera House, the Main Library, prime beaches and Happy Valley.The contest pits the Democratic Alliance (DA), which has traditionally been strong in the area, against the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), whose candidate Renaldo Gouws is a former DA councillor for Ward 2, parts of which have been incorporated into the new ward.The Freedom Front’s Gouws and DA candidate Daron Mann are campaigning on promises to tackle safety, failing infrastructure, bylaw enforcement and the decline of the metro’s tourism attractions.OutspokenBoth candidates are known for being outspoken. Gouws was fired by the DA in 2024 after a 15-year-old video in which he made racist remarks resurfaced, while Mann was axed from Algoa FM’s breakfast show in 2019 after comments about the dairy industry calling it “horrific”. At the time, the station said Mann had breached his contract as his comments had not been substantiated or balanced.The ward has struggled with service delivery issues that include regular sewage leaks at Kings Beach, infrastructure damage, broken streetlights, crime and homelessness issues, among other matters.Gouws is a former DA member of Parliament, with six years’ experience as the DA councillor in Ward 2. Before entering politics, he was a DJ at some of Gqeberha’s most popular nightclubs. He was fired from the party in 2024 after a 15-year-old video in which he made racist remarks that was posted on YouTube surfaced after he was sworn in. He later apologised for the now deleted video as part of the settlement with the Human Rights Commission. He holds four degrees in total, which include two master’s degrees in industrial psychology from Nelson Mandela University. “Ward 5 is the tourism hub of Nelson Mandela Bay, the only ward where on a sunny day the population can increase by 100,000 people that visit the beachfront and the Heritage Buildings in Central.”Freedom Front Plus Ward 5 councillor candidate Renaldo Gouws. (Photo: Renaldo Gouws / Facebook profile) Gouws said his main priority is ensuring that the city’s tourism offering in the area is up to standard.To achieve this, he said the metro police unit has to function by increasing visibility.“This means residents and tourists are looked after. When I was the Ward 2 councillor, I managed to get the beachfront safety sector up and running, which was located at the Yacht Club. When that functioned, there was not a single serious crime incident along the beachfront that affected tourists or residents in that season.”Commitment to safetyHe said the beachfront and Happy Valley needed infrastructure upgrades and beautification so they could go back to being safe and presentable. “I’ve made a commitment to say: if I don’t turn Happy Valley to what it used to be in my term, then I will never stand as a councillor again. I will resign as a councillor if that is not achieved.Under his watch, Gouws said events such as Playland would not have been withdrawn from the City; he would have facilitated negotiations for the agreements with Transnet as the property owner.“This is the first time in many decades that Playland won’t be there, and that would never have happened if I was still the councillor. I also assisted Waterworld and Splash because there were issues. Splash serves the entire metro, including schools from the previously disadvantaged areas. I facilitated the agreement so that the event continues.”Gouws plans to ensure that the ward-based budget allocation is aligned to the monetary contribution of residents and businesses in the area in terms of rates and taxes.“Over the past two years, the budget allocated to the ward does not reflect the amount of money that residents pay in rates and taxes,” he stated.‘Experience’He said his experience as a councillor would be beneficial to residents as he understood what needed to be done and had the contact details of municipal officials.“This is not a dig on Daron as a person, but this is one of the most important wards in the city; you can’t have someone who doesn’t have a day’s work of political experience to understand and run the area. It needs someone who knows what is required, has experience and will hit the ground running from the very first day. This ward can’t have a councillor on training wheels for a year or two. We need to get this ward fixed from the very first day.”If you went to the Opera House in Central, Gouws indicated that a long-standing trench prevented people from accessing it.“That is the oldest Opera House in Africa and the Southern Hemisphere. There’s this trench that has been opened, and the municipality spends millions every year on the Opera House, but with that trench, people can’t access the facility.”Gouws said people should vote for him and the FF Plus as he would serve the interests of all people in the ward, including those who did not vote for him.Enforcing bylawsMann brings three decades of experience in championing and sparking conversations on the airwaves around service delivery issues and community causes.Democratic Alliance Ward 5 councillor candidate Daron Mann. (Photo: Supplied / Source) He said the lack of bylaw enforcement in the ward was at the heart of many of its problems, which required aggressive action by the municipality.“The problem buildings (abandoned and unmaintained) in the ward is one example of the failure to enforce bylaws. This issue can’t be treated with kid gloves any more and this means holding the absent landlord accountable.”He emphasised the importance of working closely with the police to assist the metro in enforcing its laws.“There are laws in the books already. This matter is one of the promises the DA mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal made in his campaign, which is to increase the number of metro police, which is a massive problem on its own,” Mann said.“I understand we have about three metro police vehicles at any one time if all are in running order. These vehicles service the entire metro from Rosedale in Kariega to Schoenmakerskop and everywhere else in between. We’re never going to win the fight if that’s the case, a DA-led administration under Retief will.”‘Safe, clean environment’Mann said his efforts will be about going back to the basics, creating a safe environment for all, cleaning the streets and fighting for council resources for the betterment of the ward.“The Main Library has been closed to the public for about a decade; every year a budget is allocated towards it for maintenance and repairs so it can be reopened to the public and residents can have access to one of the city’s historical buildings. The money allocated is usually reallocated and spent somewhere else, and this has gone on for more than 10 years. We have committed that within the first year of the DA administration the library will be reopened.”Of major concern, Mann said, were the broken streetlights along the beachfront that contributed to the security issue.He said people were afraid to walk in the area when the sun set.“It’s ridiculous; the old saying ‘boots on the ground’ is required for safety. And we need to show love and care for the infrastructure that we have.“You often hear the phrase ‘low-hanging fruit’ in terms of generating revenue, creating jobs and attracting tourists – events like the Life Saving Championships and Ironman attract people to our city. If we look after our city, we can attract more tourists and events.”Mann said the accelerating decline of the city had motivated him to roll up his sleeves and do meaningful work.“I bring absolute radical honesty and transparency. I come to you with no political baggage. I don’t have any political scores to settle and I don’t have any political debt that I need to repay.” DM