After 15 years representing the Wild Coast communities of Coffee Bay and Hole-in-the-Wall, veteran councillor Jeffrey Msakeni has lost his seat to his former ward committee leader — and says the defeat is a blessing in disguise.
The 76-year-old businessman, who contested the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality’s Ward 24 as an independent, was defeated by the ANC’s Nomvula Dyongosi in Wednesday’s municipal elections.
Dyongosi has led Msakeni’s ward committee since 2021.
Msakeni served three terms: first as an independent, then as an ANC councillor, before winning again as an independent in 2021.
In that election, he received 1,463 votes, or 53.5%, against the ANC’s 1,033 votes, or 37.8%.
This year, 16 candidates contested the ward, which includes Coffee Bay, Hole-in-the-Wall, Lower Nenga and surrounding villages.
Despite standing against the ANC’s candidate, Msakeni said he remained the local ANC branch chair and a member in good standing. Dyongosi is the branch’s deputy secretary.
The father of 10 and grandfather of 28 said leaving the council would give him more time for his businesses, family and community work.
“The failure in my bid to have a fourth term has come as a blessing in disguise for me.
"I am a businessman, and age is catching up with me. For me, being a councillor is servanthood; it requires full commitment.
"That responsibility was taking too much of my time, and I ended up not properly running and monitoring my businesses.
"It was also giving me less time to focus on my humanitarian work, where I am helping many people in and around Coffee Bay, Mqanduli and Elliotdale.
"I will have enough time for my family,” Msakeni said.
He said he had initially declined to stand again because he wanted to focus on his businesses, but community members had urged him to contest.
“I am happy that the voters have spoken and another councillor emerged.
"I am also happy that I lost to the ANC candidate, not to a candidate of another party.
"I am prepared to share my expertise to see how development in the area can be taken further, and the ocean economy improved,” he said.
Dyongosi will take over a ward central to KSD’s leisure tourism economy, with its beaches, surf breaks, hiking trails, backpacker establishments and lodges.
Municipal planning documents identify Mthatha as the main development node, Mqanduli as a service node and Coffee Bay and Hole-in-the-Wall as a recreational tourism node.
KSD’s local economic development strategy identifies tourism as a key driver of development and the Coffee Bay and Hole-in-the-Wall ecotourism node as a flagship project.
However, the municipality acknowledges that limited infrastructure, difficult access and rugged terrain constrain the area’s potential.
Provincial plans include upgrading the Wild Coast Meander route between Coffee Bay and Zithulele to improve tourism access and support local economic development.
Msakeni said his departure from the council would not end his involvement in community development.
“This is one of the reasons I went all out to serve the people of my area, and I am taking a back seat, happy with what I have done for my community in the past 15 years.
"This is not the end of my community development activism, but the start of a new era,” he said.
He urged residents to support the incoming councillor and help develop the area.