Buffalo City Metro mayor Princess Faku unveiled a dramatically reshaped mayoral committee on Tuesday, replacing every portfolio head in a sweeping political reset as the governing ANC prepares for local government elections later in 2026.
The changes, announced during a swearing-in ceremony at the East London City Hall, saw all 10 portfolios reassigned.
While five members of the previous mayoral committee retained seats, none kept their original positions, and five new faces were introduced to the city’s executive leadership.
Faku said the reconfiguration was intended to strengthen leadership and tackle persistent service delivery failures in the metro.
“The reconfiguration is informed by the need to align and position the mayoral committee to oversee the implementation of the trading services reforms on water and sanitation, electricity and energy and on solid waste management,” she said.
“The mayoral committee members are expected to lead the implementation of the audit action plan to address the findings by the auditor-general for the financial year ending June 30 2025, including material misstatements relating to property, plant and equipment (PPE), compliance and irregular expenditure, infrastructure projects and environmental management.”
The reshuffle comes just weeks after the ANC’s regional leadership wrote to provincial party leaders requesting changes in the metro’s executive while proposing a list of preferred candidates.
It also follows the party’s recent regional conference, which saw Faku retain her position as regional chair unopposed after a tense campaign period marked by factional divisions within the party.
A stable leadership presiding over the integrated development plan budget prioritisation process and meaningfully engaging with communities is a critical and urgent step necessary
— Princess Faku, mayor
Some ANC insiders have suggested the reshuffle amounted to a purge of councillors who opposed Faku during the internal contest.
But the mayor dismissed that view, describing the new executive as a united leadership team focused on improving governance and service delivery.
“A stable leadership presiding over the integrated development plan budget prioritisation process and meaningfully engaging with communities is a critical and urgent step necessary,” Faku said.
“In a local government election year, no effort should be spared.
“All energies should be directed at addressing the persistent, unresolved service delivery challenges within the municipality, led by a coherent, united and single-purpose-driven leadership collective, with a view of bolstering the confidence of the citizens on the organisation, and thereby improve the election performance.”
She said the reshuffle would allow the municipality to align skills and expertise with the relevant portfolios.
“The municipality could be able to achieve the targets set out by the ANC, if the reconfiguration is effected with the matching of the expertise, skills and capacity to the relevant portfolios.”
Opposition parties, however, dismissed the move as politically motivated.
UDM councillor Anele Skoti said the reshuffle reflected factional battles within the ANC rather than an attempt to improve governance.
“This is a pure purging of those ANC members who had been opposed to Faku’s ambitions to lead the party in the region ahead of their ... conference, and a payback to those who had been by her side.
“It has nothing to do with service delivery,” Skoti said, warning that “the ANC will pay for this in the next local government elections”.
In fact, the responses to service delivery challenges may be even more difficult to obtain as those in their new positions need to settle in and get to know the officials within their relevant directorates, as well as the real challenges facing those directorates
— Sue Bentley, DA councillor
DA councillor Sue Bentley said her party had little confidence the changes would improve the metro’s performance.
“The DA has no faith that the reconfiguring of the mayoral committee will change anything in terms of the quality and level of service delivery currently being offered to the residents of our metro.
“In fact, the responses to service delivery challenges may be even more difficult to obtain as those in their new positions need to settle in and get to know the officials within their relevant directorates, as well as the real challenges facing those directorates.
“It really is a case of shuffling chairs on a sinking ship, highlighting an attempt to maintain an appearance of functionality and order.”
EFF councillor Mziyanda Hlekiso was equally critical.
“Remember, it is the same people who had been in power for many years.
“They have done nothing tangible for the people of Buffalo City.
“There are no new changes that they will bring.
“It’s like changing dead people and replacing them with other dead people, who will not add any value in the city.
“The whole leadership is rotten,” he said.
Among the changes, Sakhumzi Caga returns to the mayoral committee to head human settlements, while Dr Mike Basopu is expected to take over as chair of the municipal public accounts committee (Mpac).
Mpac member and DA councillor Anathi Majeke said it was “deeply concerning that the Mpac is undergoing a change in chairperson and a reduction of three committee members while simultaneously compiling the oversight report [on the annual report].”
“This instability during a critical stage of the annual report review undermines the principles of good governance and suggests a lack of commitment by the municipality to transparent oversight,” Majeke said.
Yomelela Tyali moves to the finance portfolio, while Malibongwe Mfazwe takes charge of infrastructure services.
Noma-Afrika Maxongo shifts from finance to lead public safety and emergency services, with Amanda Mnyute heading local economic development and agencies.
Veteran politician and former MPL Mninawa Nyusile will lead the newly established water and sanitation portfolio, while Bongiwe Sauli takes over corporate services.
Amanda Ralasi has been appointed to head sport, recreation and community development, replacing Graham Lottering, while Clara Yekiso-Morolong now leads solid waste management.
Lottering and Sixolisiwe Ntsasela were the two major casualties of the reshuffle and will return to ordinary proportional representation councillor roles.
Further changes in council leadership are expected, with veteran councillor Sangweni Matwele likely to return as chief whip, replacing Nozandile Mhlola, who is expected to chair the council’s women’s caucus.
Daily Dispatch
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