ANC candidate Princess Faku was elected as the new mayor of Buffalo City Metro.
Faku, formerly a deputy mayor, was elected following the decision of the ANC in the Eastern Cape to recall the then mayor Xola Pakathi who eventually resigned on Monday.
A Special Council Meeting of the Buffalo City Metropolitan Council was held on Thursday in the Auditorium, City Hall, East London.
ANC supporters packed the hall in anticipation of Faku’s victory.
The opposition DA nominated Susan Bentley as their candidate for the mayoral position.
As expected, Faku easily won the election because the ANC had a majority in the metro with 62 votes against 22 for Bentley.
Faku takes over a municipality that is riddled with service delivery challenges and a problematic billing system.
In her speech, she has promised to bring about improvements in the metro as a matter of urgency.
Faku will announce her mayoral committee soon.
Political Analyst Bheki Mngomezulu said like many other municipalities across the country, Buffalo City Metro has had its fair share of challenges.
“The mandate given to this municipality includes, but is not limited to, economic development, job creation, social development and ensuring that the community participates in all its activities.”
“”The reality is that many services are still lagging behind. For example, water and electricity supply remain a challenge to many communities. The issues of sanitation, housing and road infrastructure still remain unresolved. As concerns around these service delivery areas mount, conflict becomes inevitable,” he said.
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