The Nelson Mandela Bay metro has gone to ground and has promised to comment only 'at an appropriate time' after the National Treasury blocked the city's equitable share for July. On hearing the news, metro politicians have come out swinging, blaming the leadership -- or lack thereof -- and opening a Pandora's box of allegations about hidden files and dodgy municipal officials.

On Tuesday morning, the National Treasury announced that Nelson Mandela Bay is one of 60 municipalities whose equitable share payments will be blocked "to instil fiscal discipline and ensure that public money is properly managed".

This about R500-million payment is one of three equitable share payments made by the Treasury through the year.

While the metro's money may be blocked, the announcement unlocked a flurry of allegations against the fragile ANC-led coalition government that it was protecting corrupt officials.

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The metro is in the grips of extensive service-delivery failures, with 2,000 electricity outages recorded between May 2025 and April 2026 and daily, extended water outages hitting large parts of the city.

FOR CONTEXT Nelson Mandela Bay races to meet Treasury deadline to protect equitable share grant April 28, 2026 According to the announcement, the affected metros will have to submit proper plans to deal with Unauthorised, Irregular, Fruitless and Wasteful Expenditure (UIFWE) - NMB has the highest figure in the country - and a detailed strategy to hold municipal officials and office-bearers accountable where required by law.

"The decision follows persistent and serious non-compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and its supporting regulations, despite support...