Honouring the legacy of Councillor Marianne Lotter
13 August 2026 | Ntsikelelo Jonga | Nelson Mandela Bay
As Women’s Month gets underway, the ACDP in Nelson Mandela Bay is taking time to remember a woman whose life was deeply rooted in service — Councillor Marianne Lotter.
For those who worked alongside her, Lotter was more than a political leader. She was a pastor, a woman of faith and, above all, someone who believed that leadership meant serving people.
Speaking on 6 August, ACDP representative in Nelson Mandela Bay, Ms Phindiwe Nduku Petse, reflected on Lotter’s contribution to the party and the wider community.
“Today, the 6th of August, we reflect on the life of a remarkable woman, leader, pastor, and true servant leader, Councillor Marianne Lotter.”
Petse said Lotter played an important role in building the ACDP in Nelson Mandela Bay and across the Eastern Cape. She served as the party’s Provincial Chairperson and as National Woman of Destiny Chairperson, positions in which she helped lay a foundation that continues to influence the organisation.
But, according to Petse, Lotter’s contribution went beyond party structures and political positions.
“She was committed to the people,” said Petse, describing Lotter as someone who believed strongly in rebuilding Nelson Mandela Bay and the Eastern Cape.
That commitment, she said, was reflected in the way Lotter approached leadership — with faith, integrity and compassion.
Her legacy is particularly meaningful during Women’s Month, when the country pauses to recognise the contribution of women in communities and society. Lotter’s life is being remembered as an example of what can happen when leadership is approached not simply as a position, but as a responsibility to others.
“Her amazing work in building the ACDP here in Nelson Mandela Bay as well as in the Eastern Cape, where she proudly served as our Provincial Chairperson and National Woman of Destiny Chairperson, leaves a lasting foundation,” Petse said.
“We are deeply grateful for her dedicated service and her steadfast belief in our shared vision for rebuilding our city and the Eastern Cape. We will continue to honour her life and carry that vision forward.”
For those who knew and worked with Lotter, her absence is felt, but so too is the impact of the work she left behind.
As Women’s Month continues, her story serves as a reminder that leadership is not only about the title one holds, but about the lives touched along the way.
May Councillor Marianne Lotter’s legacy continue to light the way.
This version should feel much more like a real community newspaper story rather than an AI-generated tribute. I also deliberately kept the emotional element subtle, so it remains a news article rather than becoming an obituary or eulogy.
