Msunduzi Municipality set to appoint new municipal manager
Pietermaritzburg's City Hall Pietermaritzburg's City Hall, the seat of the Msunduzi Municipality. It is set to appoint a new municipal manager.
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
Confidential documents from the Msunduzi Municipality show that the city is set to finalise the appointment of a new municipal manager.
The person, whose name is known to The Mercury, has previously been a municipal manager in the Eastern Cape. He is not being named as the matter is currently before the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs for approval.
The matter was tabled before the city full council recently.
The new appointment will replace Lulamile Mapholoba. He left the municipality a year ago following a public legal clash with the mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla, whom he accused of interfering in municipal operations and trying to exert undue political influence on the operations.
Documents show that the appointment has been recommended on a fixed-term employment basis and placed on the minimum total remuneration package of the upper limits.
It lists two other names that must be considered should he decline the post.
ACDP councillor Rienus Niemand said the matter was confidential and they would wait for confirmation for full comment but added that they supported the recommendation.
“We trust that they will be able to address the very serious issues faced by Msunduzi. Unfortunately, Msunduzi has a dismal record as far as municipal managers are concerned. Our record regarding the performance of these previous municipal managers is even worse, with each one leaving under a cloud of corruption and political infighting," he said.
Msunduzi Municipality mayor, Thebolla, declined to comment on the matter and said they would be in a position to comment in about seven days.
“We have submitted the name of the candidate to the office of MEC for CoGTA in line with the regulations governing the appointment of senior managers. After seven days, we will be in a position to comment on the appointment,” he stated.