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Politics

Executive Mayor Urges Council to Sue Public Works Minister Over Stalled Land Transfer

By Asemahle Mfombi · KuGompo City

10 September 2026 · 3 min read

This article was created using or in collaboration with AI. It was then reviewed, fact-checked and edited by a real human. Lastly, it was approved and published by a senior editor.

Executive Mayor Urges Council to Sue Public Works Minister Over Stalled Land Transfer

BCM Mayor Princess Faku (on the left) with Public Works Minister on the right, Dean Macpherson

In what many may view as an unprecedented move, Buffalo City Mayor Princess Faku has urged her council to take the national government to court over delays in the transfer of a piece of land, which was donated to the city by the National Department of Public Works. Two years later the land is yet to be transferred.

Faku's proposal comes after the council learnt recently that the promised donation was still stuck in the transfer process, delaying the next step for families displaced during Covid-19 demolitions. If the City proceeds with the proposed lawsuit, it would be the first time the municipality has sued another state entity.

The mayor made the proposal at a recent council meeting, on August 25, at the East London City Hall in KuGompo City following the tabling of a progress report compiled by Ncumisa Sidukwana, then acting city manager. The report, meant for discussion and noting by council, told the council that the municipality was still waiting for the national government to complete the transfer of Farm 871/1, also known as Greydell or Bhongweni.

The transfer delay, which many believe may have contributed to the anger that followed the widely publicized demolitions, ties together two separate, but linked problems for municipality -- a stalled inter-governmental land transfer process and a relocation plan for families who lost homes during the demolitions.

The report acknowledges that the households were meant to move to a temporary relocation area at Farm 924 in East London, but that process has now had to be rescheduled. The mayor expressed disappointment over the delay. Bhongweni is a housing development near the King Phalo Airport

“Let us take (Dean) Macpherson to court so that the people of Bhongweni can have water and other services,” Faku pleaded with council.

BCMM executive mayor Princess Faku. Source: Facebook
BCMM executive mayor Princess Faku. Source: Facebook

The proposal, viewed by some councillors as being too radical and premature, was immediately opposed by Faku's predecessor, Xola Pakati. “I think the first thing to do, instead of suing the Minister, would be to write to the MEC (for Corporative Governance and Traditional Affair) through the office of the mayor detailing this dispute,” Pakati, now an ordinary ANC councilor, said. The DA also opposed to the proposal.

It is not clear whether council, after discussing this proposal, passed it as a resolution or not, with council spokesperson Luzuko Buku saying the municipality was still considering this issue. “The proposal made by the executive mayor was to raise a concern regarding the matter. It was not that the papers must be sent to court,” Buku said.

“Issues around where to take this matter going forward are still being considered by the municipality and once a decision has been taken, the media will be informed. This includes the likely possibility of compelling the Ministry of Public Works to exercise their role.”

The city has already had numerous engagements with the Ministry over this land, which it plans to use for housing development. Buku believes that the issue is getting closer to be resolved. “We have tried numerous meetings with the Ministry, and these seem to be getting us closer to the full resolution. We are still pursuing this avenue with numerous letters sent by the municipality to the department of public works,” he added.

Today's Cartoon: Transfer Of Power
Today's Cartoon: Transfer Of Power

Council was reminded that the matter was first discussed on August 22, 2024, when it resolved to accept and approve the donation. As the transfer has not been completed, the property has not yet been registered in the municipality’s name at the Deeds Registry in Qonce.

The progress report links the land transfer directly to a court order related to the accommodation for houses demolished on Farm 871/1 Greydell during the Covid-19 period. It says 77 households were displaced and that the municipality agreed to assist with temporary sites on Farm 924, which had also been earmarked for land restitution claimants.

That unresolved transfer now appears to be the obstacle holding up the next stage of the relocation programme. The report says the move cannot go fully ahead until the donation is concluded and the land vests in the municipality. “This land is so important to us as the municipality because as it stands, we are limited in providing services to the area and to improve the conditions of the residents of the area. This includes regularizing the stay of those residents who have long stayed on the land,” Buku said.

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