Dry taps to the council chamber, the Makhanda Archbishop who says he’s no politician

Walking down the streets of Makhanda with Archbishop Nkosinathi Ngesi is a time-consuming journey. 

His pace is actually quite quick, and at no point did the conversation feel laboured or boring. It was slow-going because the church leader made time to greet every person passing him on the street, many of them by name.

He waved at shopkeepers as he passed, shook hands with several passers-by and waved at people across the street who recognised him from a distance.

All the while, his enormous smile never left his face.

It was clear why – his political party, the Makana United Civic Movement (MUCM), came into the local government elections as somewhat of a dark horse, surprising everyone by taking close to 20% of the votes and ending up as the third-biggest party in the Makana municipal council with four seats. 

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“We are not politicians. We are residents of Makhanda. I was born here, and while my life has taken me many other places, I came back here. All I want is to see good governance and service delivery return to the people of Makhanda and the surrounding communities,” Ngesi said.

Party background and mission in Makana

MUCM was registered as a political party only a few months before the 4 November elections, but its roots as activist and civic movement dates back nearly a decade to the founding of the Makhanda Legends.

“Myself and a group of like-minded people started Makhanda Legends as a way of giving the residents of Makana a voice. We noticed the failings of government and wanted to raise awareness and offer solutions.

“For years we organised marches against water outages and crumbling roads, taking the people’s concerns directly to the local government officials. There was never any response from the municipality while city officials persisted with the same inadequate measures and expecting a different result,” Ngesi said.

Over time, Ngesi and his colleagues realised the only way to make a real impact was to secure seats on the local council and try to fix government from the inside.

With chairperson Andile Peter’s help to officially register the party, MUCM threw its hat in the ring as an alternative to the long-standing ANC-led government, and to everyone’s surprise – including its own – the party secured the third-highest number of votes behind the ANC and second-placed DA.

“We wanted to be competitive, and we are humbled by the results and the faith people have shown in us. We have no interest in taking over, but we want to play a meaningful role in local government.

“In a council with a total of 25 seats, the MUCM’s four seats puts us in a leadership position no one anticipated. We have the opportunity to make a real impact,” Ngesi said.

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When asked about his experience in politics, the national leader of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church is the first to admit that he does not have all the answers.

Raised by a single mother in Makhanda, Ngesi had a very limited relationship with his father, anti-apartheid activist Mthuthuzeli Sidwel Buwa, who was imprisoned on Robben Island and subsequently exiled to the former Transkei, where he passed away.

Ngesi’s first foray into politics came as a student, and he briefly held positions within the structures of the United Democratic Front and ANC. He worked in the former Department of Agriculture and Forestry before joining the military and becoming a chaplain.

He would later become a priest in the Ethiopian Episcopal Church, heading the Makhanda congregation, and work his way up through the ranks, until he was ultimately elected as the Archbishop.

“I keep saying I am no politician. I have no political ideologies or interest in pushing for a role in politics. I only want to see decent services return to the people of Makana. 

“Through the MUCM we have a network of experienced professionals, each with expertise in the various fields we would need to get the municipality back on track and provide the people with the services they deserve.”

Key goals and future plans

Prior to the elections, MUCM put forward its list of 11 names who would serve as mayoral committee members heading Makana’s directorates should the party secure the necessary seats in council. The list included qualified engineers, medical professionals, teachers and experienced business leaders.

Having secured four seats in council, Ngesi said the coming week will be filled with meetings and negotiations to secure critical roles for the party and selecting the right individuals from among its ranks to best fill those positions.

He said the key areas the party hopes to lead include the municipality’s finances, infrastructure development and legal services. However, Ngesi said if the MUCM cannot fulfil its entire wish list, its officials are prepared to give their best regardless of the positions they occupy.

“Our party places values, skills and transparency above all else. We want to see this municipality run by a clean administration, with skilled and qualified officials who do the work and have nothing to hide.

“Ultimately, we want Makana to be the shining example and provide other municipalities with a blueprint they can replicate to achieve good governance and effective service delivery,” Ngesi said. DM