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Clarifying the SCOPA Engagement: Facts, Progress, and Rejecting Political Distortion

The Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality (BCMM) wishes to clarify recent public discourse and vitriolic condescending distortions arising from the oversight visit by the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA).

It is common knowledge that there is a circulated opinion piece currently trending on social media “Buffalo City in Ruins: SCOPA Lifts the Lid on ANC’s Complete Collapse of Governance in the Eastern Cape”.

This opinion piece is baseless, devoid of facts, gravely misleading, and neither could be deemed a constructive critique. It is an inflammatory, politicized narrative crafted to distort the purpose and outcomes of the SCOPA engagement and to mislead the public for narrow party-political ends ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The recent oversight visits by Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) were welcomed by the Municipality.

It was a unique opportunity that offered a valuable platform to engage and give context both on progress and shortcomings in our service delivery mandate.

As a constitutional structure, SCOPA is mandated to scrutinize governance, public spending, and institutional performance.

BCMM has a deep appreciation of the SCOPA constitutional objectives and fully supports its mandate. However, we must express concern when such engagements are deliberately mischaracterized to manufacture a narrative of “collapse” while ignoring both facts on the ground and the broader context in which municipalities operate.

We reject with the contempt it deserves the attempt to recast the SCOPA engagement as a dramatic exposé of institutional failure.

This opinion piece fundamentally betrays the objectives of the SCOPA visit by travestying these into a calculated political move that ignores the substance of the interaction between SCOPA and the City’s leadership, and seeks to vilify individuals including the Executive Mayor, the Speaker, the Chief Whip, and the City Manager rather than engaging constructively with the real challenges facing local government today.

Accountability with Context

Buffalo City does not shy away from accountability. We are the first to acknowledge that there are areas that require urgent improvement, some of which were the very reason SCOPA was invited to engage with us. For accountability to stand sound under scrutiny, it must be rooted in factual context and delivered with fairness.

It is important to clarify, for instance, the context around irregular expenditure raised during the engagement.

The Chairperson of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) has been unfairly misrepresented. His comments that a large portion of irregular expenditure was historical were not made in isolation or as a deflection; they were made as an incontrovertible statement of fact.

The City Manager, in turn, acknowledged current irregular expenditure and transparently explained its source: systemic legacy issues such as outdated panel contracts and contracts that predate the Municipal Finance Management Act.

He further outlined corrective actions underway, including enhanced procurement oversight, early procurement planning, and a UIFWE reduction strategy that has already been adopted by the Council.

These actions demonstrate non-evasive leadership posture, but leadership and institutional maturity in acknowledging, responding to, and commitment in correcting weaknesses.

The Reality of Governance in Buffalo City

The notion that governance has collapsed in Buffalo City is pure political stratagem.

The facts tell a different story:
- All senior management posts are filled with qualified individuals who meet the necessary competency levels.
- Council and its committees sit regularly, chaired by functional and competent leadership.
- 98% access to clean water and 97.5% access to sanitation have been achieved.
- Infrastructure upgrades, such as Setters Way and Breidbach Interchange, are complete and actively supporting economic activity.
- Our beachfront and recreational spaces are being revitalized.
- There is political and administrative stability, a rare commodity in the current municipal landscape, particularly in metros not governed by unstable coalitions.

Yes, we have projects that are underperforming or stalled, such as the NU2 Swimming Pool, Zwelitsha and Reeston Wastewater Treatment Works, and the Water World Fun Park.

But these are not "symbols of decay" as portrayed; they are complex projects that the City is actively addressing.

In each case, proper technical assessments, forensic investigations, or dispute resolution processes have been undertaken.
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The outcomes of these processes are guiding corrective action, including the possible re-scoping of the projects and the pursuit of private-sector partnerships to ensure completion and value for the public.

In the case of the Water World project, the Buffalo City Metro Development Agency (BCMDA) has been instructed to bring forward concrete recommendations to the Council.

These include exploring funding options and ensuring referral of all the contracts that were executing this project to both SIU and the Financial Misconduct Disciplinary Board.

Our goal remains to complete this flagship development for the benefit of our communities.

It is important to understand that some of these projects date as far back as 2014. The current administration is fully committed to restoring them to full functionality and ensuring they deliver the intended services.

Criticism should be viewed within the appropriate context — that of a new leadership working diligently to fix inherited problems while upholding the principles of transparency and accountability.

In addressing these challenges, we have submitted applications for funding through the Budget Facility for Infrastructure (BFI) to support major infrastructure projects that are beyond the financial capacity of the City.

We believe that this funding will significantly ease the strain on our infrastructure, which is currently struggling to meet the demands of a rapidly developing urban environment.

These efforts are not only strategic but essential.

We regard them as critical areas for oversight by SCOPA, and we believe SCOPA can play a pivotal role in advocating for the necessary support from National Departments to assist the City in delivering sustainable infrastructure solutions.

On Cooperation with Law Enforcement

We reject, without hesitation, the suggestion that Buffalo City Metro obstructs or frustrates law enforcement agencies.

On the contrary, the Municipality continues to cooperate fully with the Special Investigating Unit, the Hawks, the Auditor-General, and all relevant institutions.

Where wrongdoing is uncovered, consequence management mechanisms are triggered in line with legislative frameworks.

Council is committed to upholding the rule of law, to encouraging investigations, and holding those who transgress accountable.

It is for this reason that the City has established UIFWE champions, who are actively reducing audit backlogs, and has submitted completed investigations for deliberation by MPAC and other oversight bodies.

Politicizing Oversight is a Disservice to Democracy

We find it deeply regrettable that the SCOPA visit, which was understood to be an opportunity for constructive oversight, has been hijacked for narrow political ends, and this calls for rebuttal in the strongest terms.

The mischaracterization of this engagement using dramatic headlines and unfounded allegations only serves to erode public trust and distract from the shared responsibility of improving governance at local level.

Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality is not perfect, but it is not dysfunctional.

It is a City in progress.

A City with dedicated officials, committed leadership, and clear plans to address its challenges.

We will not allow political opportunism to derail the work we are doing to rebuild public confidence, deliver services, and restore the dignity of our people.

We continue to welcome constructive engagement from Parliament, the public, and our stakeholders. But we urge all involved to distinguish between genuine oversight and political opportunism because the future of our communities cannot be used as campaign collateral.

Issued by:

Councillor Princess Faku
Executive Mayor Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality

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