Durban - Four critical senior management posts have finally been filled in the eThekwini Municipality. The posts were left vacant after the departure of several officials this year.
After municipal manager S’bu Sithole took over in February, there was an exodus of top staff, most of them perceived to be allied to former municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe.
In June, the contracts of two deputy city managers, Derek Naidoo for infrastructure and human settlements, and Bheki Cyril Mkhize, for safety and security, were not renewed. At a full council meeting on Friday, the following four appointments were approved:
l Naledi Moyo-Ndwandwe was appointed deputy city manager for Sustainable Development and City Enterprises for a period of five years.
l Dumisile Patricia Nene was appointed deputy city manager for Corporate Human Resources.
l Silindokuhle Hadebe was appointed deputy city manager for Human Settlements and Infrastructure.
l Philip Ntsibane was appointed permanently to head the internal audit department.
The first three were employed on a contract basis for a period of five years and are each expected to earn between R1.4 million and R1.6m a year.
MF exco member Patrick Pillay said the new appointees would have a challenging task ahead of them and it would be incumbent upon them to hit the floor running.
“Each of these portfolios has a critical task of turning around the image of their respective clusters and instill ratepayer and investor confidence in our city. Also, we would like to state that internal employee experience and expertise should not be overlooked and must be given equal opportunities for advancements.”
DA caucus leader Tex Collins said the candidates had been unanimously approved at the full council meeting and he was pleased that two women had been appointed. - The Mercury