The path has cleared for Buffalo City deputy mayor Princess Faku to claim the mayoral chain after the ANC in the Eastern Cape recalled Xola Pakathi.
The decision to recall Pakathi was based on several factors including the city’s state of disrepair, issues with the billing system, and the outsourcing of critical municipal functions.
ANC official Gift Ngqondi said: “A thorough internal organisational consultation process was followed and the affected deployee has been informed.
“The decision has been taken after due consideration and assessment by the ANC PWC [provincial working committee] on the performance of the Buffalo City metropolitan municipality.
“The ANC’s approach to this matter has, at all times, been informed by the interests of the Buffalo City broader community.”
Ngqondi said the provincial leadership has already submitted the names of three people to be interviewed for the vacant post.
They include Faku, human settlements boss Nozandile Mhlola, and council speaker Humphrey Maxhegwana.
With Pakathi out of the picture, Faku is poised to take on the mayoral responsibilities and work towards improving the city’s condition.
Sunday World understands that Pakathi was not the preferred candidate during the lead-up to local government elections in 2021. He was initially excluded from the regional PR candidates list.
However, due to ANC’s decision to initiate an interview process, the party’s highest decision-making structure, the national executive committee (NEC), insisted on his inclusion, resulting in a fourth candidate being added.
This was notable as many municipalities only had three mayoral candidates.
There were also numerous attempts to appoint Faku as mayor following the ANC Dr WB Rubusana regional congress, where she was appointed chairperson.
However, these efforts have been met with resistance from the NEC, which indicated that there cannot be two centres of power within the party.
Faku told Sunday World that she is not aware that the mayor has been recalled and stated that she cannot comment.
For more political news and views, click here.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here.
