BUFFALO CITY, Eastern Cape — As the country draws closer to the highly anticipated Local Government Elections 2026, Buffalo City Metro Executive Mayor Princess Faku remains confident in her administration’s contributions to the city, despite a tenure marked by significant infrastructural and financial hurdles. The Buffalo City Metro currently stands as the only municipality among the country’s eight metros where the ANC holds an outright majority.
Mayor Faku’s five-year term has faced substantial scrutiny, including reports of wasteful expenditure exceeding R11 billion, a problematic billing system, and persistent infrastructural challenges related to water, sanitation, and road conditions. The Auditor-General has previously flagged the municipality for underperformance in meeting annual service delivery targets and for infrastructure project delays, prompting communities to raise serious concerns over the quality of basic services.
Evaluating her own performance, Mayor Faku rated her tenure a seven out of ten, acknowledging that critical areas require immediate improvement. “I cannot give myself 10 percent while still many young people in this city are unemployed,” she stated. While the administration has facilitated international exchange programs to teach entrepreneurship and assisted local youth with business initiatives, Faku emphasized that the primary focus moving forward must be on strengthening the local economy.
Despite these headwinds, the municipal leadership maintains that it has tangibly improved community living conditions during this term. Since 2021, the Buffalo City Metro has constructed approximately 1,200 RDP houses and rolled out around 1,998 sanitation services to ensure residents receive proper, electrified infrastructure. Additionally, the city has actively tackled its severe road infrastructure backlog through the “Valazon” program, focusing on filling potholes across the municipality.
However, these developments have been met with mixed reactions on the ground, with many residents insisting that much more needs to be done to alleviate deteriorating living conditions. Community members have voiced deep frustration over ongoing sanitation crises, describing neighborhoods plagued by overflowing sewage, stagnant waters, and severe health hazards for children.
Electrical safety has also emerged as a critical concern, with residents reporting leaking power lines that pose a shock hazard to small children. “We are sick and tired of living in poverty. We are sick and tired of living like this. Enough is enough,” one resident expressed, pleading for immediate intervention and a new season of change for the community.
Looking ahead to the post-election accountability phase, Mayor Faku remains optimistic, expressing confidence that the Buffalo City Metro will secure a positive audit outcome when the Auditor-General officially releases the upcoming findings.
