Publications
- The DA in the Buffalo City Metro is giving newly elected mayor Princess Faku 100 days to deliver on her promises or face a motion of no confidence.
- Faku was elected mayor of the coastal municipality last week after defeating the DA's caucus leader Sue Bentley.
- Her 100 days in office end in July.
She has been the mayor of Buffalo City Metro for only three working days, but the DA in the region is already discussing the removal of the newly elected executive mayor, Princess Faku, through a motion of no confidence.
The party said it would launch the motion if Faku, elected last Thursday, failed to deliver on promises she made during her acceptance speech.
Faku, 41, emerged as the mayor of the metro at a special council meeting on Thursday after defeating DA caucus leader Susan Bentley by 61 votes. Bentley garnered 22 of the 83 votes cast during the ballot.
Faku replaced Xola Pakati, who resigned last Monday after the ANC recalled him.
READ | Former DA MP Cilliers Brink elected new Tshwane mayor
In her speech, Faku identified and raised many service delivery failures plaguing the city and promised to address the issues which weren't dealt with by her ANC colleague's administration.
These include:
- Resolving billing issues.
- Improving revenue collection, specifically from government departments.
- Renewal of bulk infrastructure, specifically water, electricity, and roads.
- Acting against illegal land invasions and illegal electricity connections.
- Clearing illegal dump sites and ensuring a cleaner metro.
- Ensuring uninterrupted delivery of services to both households and industry.
- Focusing on the needs of youth, women and those living with disabilities.
- Holding officials accountable in their role in delivering services.
The DA has now come out saying it would give Faku 100 days to deliver on her promises or face a motion of no confidence.
If Faku fails, she could face the motion by mid-July.
Bentley, who spearheaded the threat of a motion of no confidence, said Buffalo City residents were being exploited with some of the country's highest rates, taxes and electricity tariffs.
She said it was time the municipality upheld its promises.
“The people of Buffalo City are tired of empty promises, they need a municipality that delivers the services they are entitled to. These issues must be addressed with urgency. The DA therefore gives Mayor Faku 100 days to show that she means business and can improve service delivery,” said Bentley.
She added that her party would monitor whether these issues were adequately rectified or whether, at the very least, progress was being made.
ALSO READ | Steenhuisen has support of party bigwigs in the bag ahead of DA elective congress
“If she fails to prove that she has a handle on these issues and that she can turn the situation around, the DA will table a motion of no confidence in her,” Bentley warned.
According to the DA, it did not matter who the mayor of metro was, unless the issue of cadre deployment was addressed and capable individuals were appointed in key positions, service delivery issues would not be resolved.
The DA said it expected the mayor to appoint the most competent and best suited mayoral committee members.
Faku declined to comment and referred questions to the metro’s communication team headed by Samkelo Ngwenya.
Ngwenya said the mayor was sticking to her acceptance speech, which identified her administration's priorities.
