WRITTEN BY LANCE VAN DER WESTHUIZEN

A young city with a population comprising mostly of people under the age of 29, Buffalo City has often been called one of the most forward thinking and applicable municipalities in South Africa. Boosted by the strength of a thriving Industrial Development Zone, a real hunger for success from the youth and a rise in education matriculates the area seems destined to continue in the same vein. I was fortunate enough to speak with Municipality Manager Andile Fani regarding his favourite city.

South African

Buffalo City Municipality is in the Amatole District of

the Eastern Province and has incorporated two former

municipalities King Williams Town and East London into

itself making the municipality the ultimate political decision-making

body of the region.

“The Executive Mayor of Buffalo City, Zukiswa Ncitha takes

overall strategic and political responsibility for the city, while myself,

the Municipal Manager heads the city’s administration.”

From this position of immersion within the governmental

routines and cycles Andile Fani is the very word on the focusses and

determinations of the municipality and takes his job very seriously. A

fact that has awarded him the respect of everyone he works with.

A humble, rural upbringing taught Andile the importance of being

part of the people and not above them. He is straight forward, direct,

principled and stubborn enough and has spent the time in his position,

first appointed in 2010, clearing out the corruption that has tainted

and marred many governmental departments in South Africa.

“When you do not have ambitions of staying you can make

decisions,” Andile explains, “I am acting on certain things that will make

me unpopular. But I am not here to make friends.”

Andile, is definitely the man for the job: he has a diploma in public

management from Walter Sisulu University, a diploma in labour law,

certificates in municipal financial management and local government

management. He also has an extensive experience in local government.

Before he was officially appointed City manager of Buffalo City and

he had filled the role in an acting capacity for more than a year after

he was seconded from the provincial department of local government

and traditional affairs.

His approach has certainly stuck. In what was only supposed to

be a six month tenure but he has been in the hot seat since November

2010 during which time he has made a lot of impressive steps to clean

up the city for his people.

“I used to drive around the city and it was dirty,” he recalls, “The

beach and streets had been filthy for some time. I wasn’t proud of it.”

Pride in one’s home city is the starting point for improvement

and development. He understood that for things to change he had

to make Buffalo City a place where it’s people could be proud of.

His initial changes included City clean-up campaigns, a turnaround

strategy on financial management, getting the council ready for

the transformation to a metropolitan, service delivery hotspots, a

Pride in one’s home city is the starting point for improvement and development.

BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY

“It is our responsibility,” Andile tells us, “As municipality to structure and manage the administration, budgeting and planning processes to give priority to the basic needs of the community and promote the social and economic development of that community.”

Endeavour Magazine | 47

turnaround strategy on supply chain management, a turnaround

strategy on audit findings and the appointment of a chief financial

officer and a general manager for supply chain.

Almost three years down the line and things have definitely

improved from the ground up.

“We have finally become a metropolis of South Africa,” he tells us.

Developments In Buffalo City“We have an Integrated Development Plan IDP, which is a single,

inclusive and strategic plan for the development of the municipality”

he tells us.

This will enable the municipality to achieve its constitutional

objectives of democratic and accountable leadership for local

authorities of energy, water and waste removal. The sustainable

provision of services to communities and the promotion of social,

economic development in a safe and healthy environment.

“We encourage community participation in local government

matters,” Andile explains, “And the IDP is seen as a management tool

for the city administration as well as a tool for the development of

partnerships and strategic alliances on different levels.”

How To Stimulate Economic Development

Municipalities are regarded as vehicles for local economic

development, suggesting that they should aim to create a climate

conducive to investment and economic growth. Buffalo City has a

plethora of important growth and development opportunities on

offer.

A number of major projects are in the pipeline, including an

Industrial Development Zone and a campaign to stimulate growth

in the tourism sector. The municipality has recognised its important

economic development role and has established a local economic

development unit to achieve it.

“There is a strong focus on securing foreign investment, creating

international partnerships and twinning relationships including

relationships with many international experts including SIDA and The

Dutch,” Andile tells us, “Buffalo City Municipality also actively builds

its relationships with the business community and major economic

role-players.”

This was prompted by the establishment of a Business Forum

that provides a useful platform for engaging the private sector and

BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY

building a strategic city development partnership and the mayor and

deputy mayor hold regular meetings and other interactions with key

stakeholders such as Daimler Chrysler.

Buffalo City Municipality has strong relationships with

neighbouring cities, and has come far along the road in identifying

and developing common interests and needs. It is involved with

the Nelson Mandela Metropole and the Cacada and Amatole

district municipalities through the Coastal Mayor’s Forum. These

relationships allow the municipality to play a useful co-ordinating and

strategic role for the Eastern Cape which in turn will help in its own

increase development.

2013 And BeyondWater system upgrades and the laying of a state of the art

fibre optic network to encourage industry and foreign investors

to set up shop in the region and take advantage of the new level of

infrastructure are well under way. Add to this the like mindedness of

the team of leaders in charge of Buffalo City and there is no end to

what they can accomplish.

“It’s all down to working together,” Andile concludes.

“I used to drive around the city and it was dirty. The beach and streets had been filthy for some time. I wasn’t proud of it.”

BUFFALO CITY MUNICIPALITY

0027 43 705 1749

WWW.BUFFALOCITY.GOV.ZA

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