Princess Faku has all but cemented her comeback as Buffalo City Metro mayor after the 2026 local government elections.
This as she clinched her second term as the Dr WB Rubusana ANC regional chair in the early hours of Thursday.
This makes her the frontrunner as ANC candidate for mayorship come the 2026 municipal elections.
In an unexpected development, Faku was uncontested for her second stint at Rubusana House, the party’s regional office in East London.
She was first elected regional chair in May 2022.
While a fierce leadership contest was expected between the metro’s warring ANC factions, the Imvula faction led by outgoing regional secretary Antonio Carels, and Faku’s Ilanga, Faku had an easy day in the office after her position as regional chair was not challenged.
Faku was initially meant to battle it out with Vuyo Jali, and possibly a manager at her office and once close ally, Mbasa Satyi.
Jali pulled out from the contest at the 11th hour, as he declined nomination to contest for the region’s top political post on Thursday.
Faku and Jali were the only two candidates that had made the threshold from branch nominations to stand for the chair position.
Satyi’s name was meant to be raised from the conference floor.
However, this was not to be, leaving Faku as the only available candidate.
Two jovial delegates aligned to Faku said they were glad conference fever had come and gone, saying her victory would now pave the way for her return to the City Hall for a second term.
The Faku-led ANC slate later made a clean sweep and won all five top positions in the regional executive committee.
While Faku was the only one uncontested, the rest had to face a challenge from party members aligned to the Imvula faction, led by Carels, who, at the 11th hour, withdrew his candidacy for the regional secretary post.
Carels, Faku’s ally Anele “Gee” Lizo and Satyi had made the branch nomination cut to contest for the position.
They all accepted nomination, but in a dramatic turn of events, Carels wrote to conference on Thursday morning, withdrawing his participation.
The decision, Carels confirmed, came after engagements with provincial and regional party leaders, who had advocated for a no-contest conference.
This decision has not been taken lightly, and after careful reflection and extensive engagement with comrades, stakeholders and organisational elders, I believe that withdrawing best serves the unity, cohesion and organisational renewal of our movement
— Outgoing regional secretary Antonio Carels
ANC provincial chair and premier Oscar Mabuyane, while addressing conference on Wednesday, revealed that he had spearheaded moves to “babysit” both Faku and Carels, persuading them to find each other in pursuing unity in the region.
While Carels said his late withdrawal was for the betterment of the organisation, some members of his group felt betrayed about not being informed earlier of his decision.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, and after careful reflection and extensive engagement with comrades, stakeholders and organisational elders, I believe that withdrawing best serves the unity, cohesion and organisational renewal of our movement,” Carels said.
“Our region stands at a critical juncture, requiring collective focus on strengthening branches, building organisational discipline and advancing service to our communities.
“However, I remain available to serve the movement in any capacity required by the new committee.”
Jali also confirmed he opted not to accept nomination to contest Faku, after engagements with some of his comrades in the region and province.
“Look, I know that the branch members who nominated me are hurt by all that has transpired. I have disappointed them.
“It’s a fact that the state of our organisation is bleeding, also the state of the municipality here is in tatters.
“So there are leaders that I met before and we had engagements around the matter, and I decided to be the bigger person so as to ensure that after all, no one suffers from everything that might happen here.
“I then decided that let me withdraw, so that we are seen not as enemies after this but as comrades of the ANC, who would be expected to go out next year and campaign for the municipal elections,” Jali said.
Behind-the-scene unity talks were also confirmed by Satyi.
“There were engagements with a number of leaders in the province and across the region, to try and foster unity.”
Faku’s close ally, Malibongwe Mfazwe, emerged victorious over Siwe Ntsasela for the deputy chair position.
Mfazwe received 139 votes to Ntsasela’s 65.
For the regional secretary position, Lizo got 123 votes, while Satyi was voted for by only 87 of the 213 voting delegates.
Lizo will be deputised by Bongiwe Saul.
To complete the clean sweep, Yomelela Tyali was elected regional treasury, beating Mendy Wetsetse.
Speaking after the announcement of the results, both Lizo and Faku said forging unity within ANC structures in the region would be their main mandate.
Daily Dispatch
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