Buffalo City Municipality

The Constitution of 1996 requires that a municipality "must structure and manage its administration and budgeting and planning processes to give priority to the basic needs of the community, and to promote the social and economic development of the community".

The boundaries of the newly established municipality now include a large area characterised by very different features. Two former municipalities (Transistional Local Councils) - that of East London and King William's Town - have merged into one, and also other areas, which previously were not included in either of them, are now part of Buffalo City.

Buffalo City Municipality is in the Amatole District of the Eastern Province. The administrative structure is being gradually defined, and new functions and roles are being identified and allocated.

The Buffalo City Municipal Council is the ultimate political decision-making body of the municipality. Ward councillors are the major link between the municipal government and the residents. The Executive Mayor of Buffalo City takes overall strategic and political responsibility for the city, while the Municipal Manager heads the city's administration. The heads of departments and officials are responsible for physically implementing policy.

The municipality is led by an Executive Mayor, Zukisa Faku. The mayor takes overall strategic and political responsibility for the city. There are 89 councillors with 45 being ward councillors and 44 being proportional representation councillors. The ANC has a strong majority with 74 councillors. The Democratic Alliance has 11 seats. Another three parties also have elected representatives on the council (two PAC members, one UDM member and one ACDP member). The Municipal Manager heads Buffalo City's administration and provides the link between the political and administrative arms of city government. The administration has just over 4 000 employees divided into the Executive Mayoral Office, Municipal Manager's Office and five directorates - Financial Services, Engineering Services, Corporate Services, Planning and Economic Development and Social Services.