As the Local Government Elections (LGE) 2026 approach, Buffalo City metro is witnessing a surge in mayoral candidates vying for the top spot. The African National Congress (ANC) has yet to officially announce its mayoral candidate, but Princess Faku and Ncedo Kumbaca are emerging as frontrunners. Faku, 44, currently chairs the ANC's Dr WB Rubusana region and has previously served as deputy mayor and mayor since March 2023. Kumbaca, a former journalist, has held various positions in the ANC and Buffalo City council.
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has nominated Mkhululi Dlevu as its mayoral candidate. Born in Gqeberha and raised in Zwide, Dlevu has worked in the public and private sectors as an ICT programme manager, business analyst, and technology consultant. He rose through the EFF's ranks, joining the party's Central Command Team. Dlevu's agenda focuses on addressing crime, promising to hire more law enforcement officers, introduce highway patrols, and install CCTV cameras in busy intersections and townships.
The EFF's Dlevu argues that the ANC has failed to address the metro's challenges, including crime, and that residents have been misled for over 30 years. He aims to unseat the ANC outright, rather than simply seeking a coalition seat. The party's growth in the area, from 7.97% in 2016 to 12.06% in 2021, has been significant, but an outright majority remains a challenge in an ANC stronghold.
Mzwandile Vaaiboom, the uMkhonto WeSizwe (MK) Party's mayoral candidate, is campaigning on his experience, having joined the ANC in 1991 and served as a Buffalo City councillor since 2011. He became the party's metro chief whip in 2015 before leaving the ANC for Isanco in 2023. Vaaiboom's priorities include fixing billing inaccuracies, addressing water and sanitation challenges, and resolving the housing backlog. He has lodged a complaint over sewage flowing from the Schornville plant into the Buffalo River, which has led to a criminal investigation.
Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, deputy president of the United Democratic Movement (UDM), is pitching the party as a credible alternative government. He has built a career in banking and politics, serving as an MP since 2013. Kwankwa's campaign focuses on addressing infrastructure decay and administrative shortcomings in Buffalo City Metro. His key priorities include fixing the finances, professionalising the metro, and creating local jobs. He aims to revive key economic zones, such as the Dimbaza Industrial Park.
The UDM holds one proportional representation seat and no ward seats in Buffalo City's 100-seat council. Kwankwa is confident that a decade of work in the metro will pay off at the polls. However, the party has struggled to grow its support beyond 1% of the vote. The MK Party, similarly, is effectively operating as an "elections missionary" and has yet to establish permanent leadership structures in Buffalo City.
With the elections approaching on November 4, the candidates face significant challenges in winning over voters in the ANC stronghold. The ANC's Faku and Kumbaca, the EFF's Dlevu, the MK Party's Vaaiboom, and the UDM's Kwankwa will need to convince residents that they can address the metro's pressing challenges, including service delivery, infrastructure decay, and job creation.
Key points
- The ANC has yet to officially announce its mayoral candidate for Buffalo City metro.
- The EFF aims to unseat the ANC outright in the LGE 2026.
- The UDM is pitching itself as a credible alternative government for Buffalo City metro.
