With Local Government Elections(LGE) 2026 set for 04 November, we must decide what kind of council we want for BCM
By Pumla Ngesi
AS BUFFALO CITY METRO FOLKS, WE NEED TO THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE WE VOTE AGAIN.
BCM does not need a “messiah”, we need capable, ethical and experienced leaders who understand how to turn a struggling municipality around. We need a strategist who can work with the full council, municipal administration, businesses, communities and other spheres of government to rebuild this Metro.
No mayor can repair Buffalo City Metro alone. The mayor can lead, but the council must make decisions. Then the municipal administration must implement those decisions. Councillors on the other end must represent their communities, and residents must also remain involved and hold everyone accountable. That’s how a municipality becomes functional and sustainable. This is the reason why the quality of the whole council matters!
On 4 November 2026, the residents of Buffalo City will once again have an opportunity to choose the people who will govern this Metro for the next five years. This morning I took some time to pen this, just so everyone is aware of what that means.
Before we vote, we must honestly look at what we did in 2021 and what that decision produced.
THIS IS HOW BUFFALO CITY VOTED IN 2021
Buffalo City has a council of 100 councillors: 50 ward councillors, 50 proportional-representation councillors. In the 2021 Local Government Elections, the council seats were allocated as follows:
– *ANC* – 214,118 votes – 59.4% – 61 council seats
– *DA* – 70,334 votes – 19.5% – 20 council seats
– *EFF* – 43,466 votes – 12.1% – 13 council seats
– *UDM* – 3,466 – 1.0% – 1
– *PAC* – 3,383 – 0.9% – 1
– *ATM* – 3,270 – 0.9% – 1
– *AIC* – 2,562 – 0.7% – 1
– *ACDP* – 2,011 – 0.6% – 1
– *Freedom Front Plus* – 1,848 – 0.5% – 1
Independent candidates collectively received 8,383 votes but did not win a ward. Another 18 parties collectively received 7,453 votes but did not obtain a council seat. The ANC won 43 of the 50 wards and received another 18 seats through proportional representation (PR). That gave it 61 of the 100 seats and an outright majority in council. The DA won seven wards and received another 13 PR seats. The EFF did not win a ward but received 13 PR seats. The remaining six parties each received one PR seat.
These are not just numbers. These figures show how we, the voters of Buffalo City created the council that has governed us for the past five years. Let that sink!
ALMOST 55% OF REGISTERED VOTERS DID NOT VOTE…(the same people who are crying about service delivery)
Buffalo City had 406,486 registered voters in 2021, but only 185,525 participated. The voter turnout was only 45.6%. This means that more than half of the registered voters did not participate in choosing the council. We have been saying that we want change, but change cannot come while large numbers of BCM residents stay at home on election day.
When you don’t vote, decisions are still made, a council is still elected, a mayor is still chosen, budgets are still approved, contracts are still awarded, rates and service charges are still collected. Staying away does not stop the political process, it simply allows other people to make the decision on our behalf. Let that sink again!
Here is the truth you should take away from this… THE BALLOT PAPER CREATED THE COUNCIL, meaning, we voted the way we did and gave ourselves the current BCM Council.
We must understand this clearly good people. We do not directly elect the mayor, we elect ward councillors and political parties. Those councillors then sit in council and elect the mayor from among themselves.
The ballot paper is not a small piece of paper. It is a very important paper which determines:
Who controls the municipal budget,
Who elects the mayor,
Who sits on council committees,
Who provides oversight,
Who represents our wards,
And who must answer for the condition of our communities.
SO WHAT HAVE THE PAST FIVE YEARS TAUGHT US?
DO WE WANT TO PRESERVE THE STATUS QUO?
In 2021, we gave one political organisation enough seats to govern Buffalo City without needing the support of other parties. In 2026, having experienced the results of the past five years, we must decide whether we want to preserve the same balance of power or create a different kind of council.
BUFFALO CITY HAS GREAT POTENTIAL.
It is neither a lost cause nor a hopeless place.
We have an important port, an international airport, a major motor-manufacturing industry, beautiful beaches, universities, hospitals, agricultural land, tourism opportunities and thousands of talented young people.
Our problem is not that Buffalo City has nothing, but that our resources, people and opportunities have not been organised around one clear and accountable development plan. It is my earnest prayer that in LGE 2026 we give ourselves leadership which can turn our municipality around.
That being said, VOTERS MUST ALSO CHANGE. We cannot demand better leadership while continuing with the same careless voting habits.
Before supporting any political organisation or candidate, ask yourselves:
Who is this person? What have they done before?
Do they understand the municipality? Are they known for serving people or serving themselves?
Can they account for their previous responsibilities? Are they accessible? Do they have a plan?
Political parties contest elections, but BCM belongs to its residents. The municipality is funded by our rates, taxes, service charges and public money.
Come 4th November 2026, we must take responsibility for the council we create.
Buffalo City does not need a “messiah”. It needs capable leaders, a strong council, ethical officials and active citizens working together.
The question is not only, “Who will become our Mayor?” The bigger question is:
What kind of council are we going to create through our votes?
In 2026, having seen and experienced what we have experienced, are we going to preserve the status quo? Or are we ready to think carefully, vote wisely and take back responsibility for the future of Buffalo City? The choice is ours, beautiful people of BCM. The ballot paper is where change begins. We must register in numbers, and go out to vote in the same numbers. Staying away from ballot papers and expecting changes doesn’t work. Our vote is our voice on this one.
May this message spread far and wide, and help us fix what we can for our livelihoods and future.
Shalom
Love P ❤️
About the Author:
Pumla Ngesi is an Executive Coach & NLP Life Coach, a Community Development Practitioner, Public-Awareness Specialist and Christian leader based in Buffalo City Metro. A former teacher at Nompumelelo Public School in Duncan Village, an Alumnus of the Futurelect Programme for “Women in Public Office”, and an experienced Facilitator, Pumla writes and speaks on ethical leadership, active citizenry, good governance, and the responsibility of ordinary people to participate in building accountable communities. Her core belief is that informed, responsible and active citizens can change the direction of their communities by using their voices, their influence, and their votes wisely.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Eastern Cape Daily News.
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