The Buffalo City Metro council has resolved to refer DA chief whip and municipal public accounts committee (Mpac) member Anathi Majeke to its integrity commission over claims she made about mayor Princess Faku’s alleged failure to attend oversight meetings.
The move follows a special council sitting that was postponed on Wednesday, with tensions flaring over the reasons for the delay.
Majeke had suggested that Faku’s alleged non-attendance at Mpac engagements had delayed the finalisation of a report, which was due to be tabled on Wednesday, and contributed to the postponement of the meeting.
On Thursday, council adopted a resolution, on Faku’s recommendation, to refer Majeke to the integrity commission over those assertions.
The dispute centres on Mpac’s 2025/2026 financial year oversight report, which had been due to be tabled on Wednesday but was delayed.
Faku rejected suggestions that she was responsible for the postponement, saying the report itself had been referred back earlier this year due to deficiencies.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, she also took aim at Mpac, accusing the committee of exceeding its mandate and straying into executive functions.
“The report is marked by mandate overreach, with Mpac venturing beyond its oversight function into executive terrain,” Faku said.
She said the committee was “issuing prescriptive, time-bound directives”, which she argued undermined the separation of powers in municipal governance.
Faku further criticised what she described as the report’s “analytic posture”, saying that while it identified governance challenges, it “frequently extrapolates beyond the evidence”.
“What must be resisted, however, is the weaponisation of oversight for political expedience. Oversight is a constitutional obligation, not a campaign platform,” she said.
She also raised concerns about the alleged use of confidential audit material in the report, warning that this could compromise the integrity of internal processes between auditors and municipal management.
However, Mpac’s report, tabled in council on Thursday, paints a different picture, raising concerns about the mayor’s non-attendance at public hearings.
The report, presented by committee chair Dr Mike Basopu, states that the committee “observed with grave concern that the executive mayor did not attend the engagement sessions, despite having submitted written response” to questions.
It says this affected oversight by limiting the committee’s ability to probe responses and undermining direct accountability.
Basopu acknowledged that the committee had faced challenges related to Faku’s availability, but denied that this was the reason the report was not ready on Wednesday, describing that claim as a “myth”.
He said the delay was due to technical issues that needed to be resolved before the report could be finalised.
In the initial council meeting, the chair of the committee alluded to the executive mayor not attending Mpac sessions arranged for her to account in public, as a challenge
— Geoff Walton, DA councillor
The report was eventually tabled during a reconvened council meeting on Thursday, but the DA walked out before proceedings could get under way.
The party argued that the meeting had been reconvened unlawfully after Wednesday’s sitting was postponed and indicated it would challenge the matter legally.
Council speaker Humphrey Maxegwana rejected those concerns, saying council had obtained legal advice allowing it to proceed.
Yomelela Tyali, who assumed the role of acting mayor when Faku excused herself from the meeting, said that Mpac was not above council and that council could intervene if the committee failed to execute its duties.
Basopu recommended that the adopted report be made available to the public, provincial legislature, provincial treasury and Cogta within seven days.
Reacting to Majeke’s referral, DA councillor Geoff Walton questioned why only one Mpac member had been singled out.
“In the initial council meeting, the chair of the committee alluded to the executive mayor not attending Mpac sessions arranged for her to account in public, as a challenge.”
The developments highlight growing political tension within council over accountability processes, with both the executive and oversight structures accusing each other of undermining governance.
Daily Dispatch
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.