Post on 28-Mar-2016
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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.”
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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
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