Community-led initiatives in Nelson Mandela Bay are leading the charge in cleaning up neighbourhoods, transforming spaces and turning them into areas of pride and positivity.

When verges are overgrown and illegal dumping piles up high in Nelson Mandela Bay, it is increasingly residents -- not the municipality -- who are rolling up their sleeves to clean up.

Across the Friendly City, community groups and volunteers, armed with gloves and refuse bags, are cutting grass, clearing dumping sites, and even filling potholes in a bid to restore pride in their neighbourhoods.

If it is not residents from Gatvol PE filling potholes that have gone unrepaired for months, it is organisations such as TidyNMB and Ubuhle BeGqeberha rallying neighbours to tackle overgrown verges and clear litter.

Read more Nelson Mandela Bay potholes: Waiting for Godot (and the municipality) February 22, 2026 While TidyNMB and its volunteers clean streets and cut grass in public spaces -- duties that rest on the municipality's shoulders -- the organisation says it is not seeking to replace or shame the metro for its shortcomings.

On the contrary, it aims to "build a friendly relationship with the municipality", said Dr Johann Malherbe, one of the founders and organisers of TidyNMB.

"We want to help the municipality. They cannot do this on their own ... collaboration is at the heart of...