With a passion for people and a reputation for hard work, newly-appointed Ilembe municipal manager Geoffrey Kumalo aims to take the district to greater heights.
The 49-year-old South Coast resident was officially appointed as municipal manager two weeks ago after acting in the position over the past year.
Speaking of his plans, Kumalo said he was committed to focusing on addressing issues of service delivery in Ilembe which included fixing water leaks as well as improving the financial position of the municipality, which has recently recovered from near-bankruptcy.
“I will be concentrating on improved delivery and turn-around time because ultimately we need to be faster in responding to our customers. My goal is to gain the confidence of our residents because when they pay, they need to know that we do care.”
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Having worked in local government since 2002, Kumalo said he was inspired to contribute to the transformation of the country. He relies on his values of caring and treating people with dignity to better his profession.
“We need to be able to put ourselves in our customer’s shoes and think about the challenges they may be facing. I joined government when municipalities were transforming from the apartheid era and some legislation had not yet changed. We have come a long way since then and we still have a long way to go.
“Small changes that will inspire transformation and upliftment start within our own district, which I hope my skills and knowledge will contribute to.”
Kumalo joined Ilembe municipality in 2013 as director of corporate services.
He holds a bachelors degree in public administration, two postgraduate degrees in human resources and business management and administration and a masters degree in business administration.
The new leader’s appointment was welcomed by all members of council including opposition parties.
DA Ilembe chief whip Malcolm Hubner said they would be working with Kumalo for the betterment of the district.
“We support his appointment because he has always held a senior position in the municipality and has acted as municipal manager whenever needed. The process was fair and three other applicants were also interviewed but Kumalo proved to have exactly what was required.”
ANC Ilembe chief whip Sandeep Oudhram said: “It has been a pleasure serving with Kumalo and we assure everyone that he has met all the requirements of the position.”
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