Despite securing only one seat in the Mthatha-based King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) Local Municipality, newcomer Phakama Eastern Cape says it is not concerned about ongoing coalition talks.
It insists its priority is to use its lone voice in council to push for development and better service delivery.
The civic organisation says it intends to hold the municipality accountable and ensure that the needs of ordinary residents in Mthatha and surrounding areas are not overlooked.
Buoyed by last week’s election results, opposition parties were reportedly seeking to take over municipalities where the ANC had lost its majority, including the province’s two metros, without the ruling party.
Early coalition talks had reportedly included calls for the ANC to be sidelined.
KSD, which includes Mthatha, Mqanduli and Coffee Bay as its main urban centres, is among the hung councils following the November 4 elections.
The ANC won 31 of the 73 council seats, including 22 municipal wards, but fell short of an outright majority.
The ruling party’s grip on Mthatha’s affluent suburbs has been broken, with the UDM making inroads in areas that have traditionally been among the ANC’s strongest support bases.
Mthatha ratepayer Phikolomzi Adonis, who was Phakama Eastern Cape’s mayoral candidate in KSD, said the organisation was not perturbed by the coalition talks.
While another civic movement, the Mthatha Ratepayers' and Residents' Association (MRRA), failed to secure a seat this time, after winning two in 2016 and one in 2021, Phakama managed to gain representation in the council.
“People have voted the way they have voted but at Phakama, we are there to serve the people,” Adonis said.
“Whatever responsibility we are going to be entrusted with in the council, we will be serving the ordinary people.
"The ANC lost some seats because it took the people for granted.”
Adonis is known for leading a community campaign against the KSD municipality in 2020 over what residents described as exorbitant electricity tariff hikes.
At the time, the TVET college lecturer questioned how municipal officials had calculated the increases, accusing them of possibly plucking the percentages out of thin air.
He said Phakama was pleased to have secured a seat in the council.
“Ideally, Phakama is not a political party but a civic organisation.
"But we are not focusing on one issue like MRRA, which was specifically on rates.
"That is what they stood for, meaning they were excluding other aspects of society,” Adonis said.
“In Phakama, we have three legs which are governance which was what prompted us to participate in the elections to begin with.
"We have also registered a co-operative bank to help entrepreneurs and economic development.
"We are looking at capacitating entrepreneurs and supporting small businesses.”
He said the organisation also had traditional leaders among its members and would work closely with them and religious leaders, whom he described as influential custodians in communities, particularly in rural villages.
Phakama members had also participated in marches in Mthatha and other parts of the Eastern Cape against illegal immigration.
Adonis said the movement wanted to educate residents about municipal processes and ensure that politicians and municipal officials accounted for how taxpayers’ money was spent.
He said Phakama intended to provide quarterly reports and consult ordinary citizens, ratepayers and professionals about their needs and priorities.
“I was talking to MRRA people about the mistakes that politicians, in particular, often make, and I pray it never happens to us at Phakama.
"I pray we never find ourselves falling into the trap of losing touch with our people.
"We want to have quarterly reports and consult ordinary citizens, ratepayers and professionals alike and get their views on what they would like because once you lose that connection with the people, it is not easy to maintain any support and that is what happened to MRRA,” Adonis said.
Daily Dispatch