The Mayoral Chain Is Not A Personal Reward, Veterans Warn Dzengwa

Residents, most of them veteran ANC members, have used an engagement with ANC mayoral nominee, Simphiwe Dzengwa, to raise concerns about service delivery challenges and the selection of leaders within the ruling party.

The engagement, held at the International Convention Centre last Friday, brought together public intellectuals, farmers, academics, sports personalities and business leaders to discuss the challenges facing the Buffalo City Metro ahead of the local government elections.

Speakers called for improved roads, better infrastructure, fair municipal billing and affordable electricity. They also raised concerns about the ANC's leadership selection process and called for leaders to be chosen based on their ability to serve communities.

Guest speaker and ANC veteran Smuts Ngonyama, reminded Dzengwa that his experience was an important reason for his nomination and should be used to improve service delivery if he is selected as executive mayor.

He stressed that holding the mayoral office should not be seen as a personal reward or a symbol of status, but as a public responsibility. “The mayoral office is not a personal reward. It is not a symbol of status, or an opportunity to exercise authority without accountability," he said

Ngonyama said Dzengwa's experience, gained from his time at the Eastern Cape Treasury Department should help him manage municipal finances carefully and improve the work of local government.

“Your experience in treasury should inform a disciplined approach to municipal finances," he said.

The engagement also highlighted concerns about the daily challenges faced by residents in Buffalo City. Speakers pointed to potholes, poor roads, infrastructure problems, incorrect municipal billing and high electricity costs as issues that needed attention.

ANC Youth League member Loyiso Mkhubelo called on Dzengwa to pay attention to the harbour and industrial parks, including the activities taking place in these areas and the people responsible for maintaining their growth. He said economic development should form part of efforts to improve the metro.

Joe Jongolo, a representative of the Amarharhabe Kingdom and another ANC veteran, questioned the influence of money in the selection of ANC leaders. He called on the party to prioritise people with the necessary skills and qualifications rather than those with financial resources.

Jongolo also called for the ANC to review its process of having three mayoral candidates in the same municipality.

Despite the concerns, speakers still expressed hope in Dzengwa and said they believed the ANC had made the right choice in selecting him as its BCMM mayoral candidate.

The engagement gave stakeholders an opportunity to also outline the problems they wanted addressed.

Dzengwa, in his response, said he welcomed all the input as he had invited everyone to listen and to start an honest conversation about the City. He said while the Metro has great potential, it also faces serious challenges like unemployment, poverty, water cuts, electricity problems, bad roads and poor infrastructure that residents are facing daily.

Dzengwa said Buffalo City must transform into a municipality that helps businesses to grow, not block them. He committed to improve investment, tourism and to focus on the ocean economy, small businesses, and farming.

For agriculture, he wants to support both commercial and emerging farmers and improve rural roads, water and electricity. He invited academics, intellectuals and other professionals to come on board to help with research, strategic planning and financial management. He said he planned to introduce a triple helix model that would see government, business and universities work together to develop the city.

He ended his speech by promising to serve all residents of the City, saying trust must be earned, not demanded, and a mayor must serve all residents fairly regardless of politics. He then asked the people in the room to always challenge him, advise him and invited them to become partners in building the city.

Should he win the race, he promised to lead with humility and focus on listening, implementing plans, accountability and creating a city where everyone shares in opportunity.