New mayor for Umdoni
Mbali Cele-Luthuli's inauguration came after former mayor Sibongile Khathi joined the office of the Premier as a director.
In less than three years, the political career of the former speaker of Umdoni Municipality, Mbali Cele-Luthuli has grown rapidly.
Cele-Luthuli who is the newly-elected mayor of Umdoni became the speaker of the council after the 2021 local government elections.
Her inauguration came after former mayor Sibongile Khathi joined the office of the Premier as a director.
The new mayor was sworn in during a recent council meeting.
Mthandeni Mbutho who had been acting as mayor after Khathi left was sworn in as speaker of the council.
Also, Phila Thabethe was named the deputy mayor of Umdoni.
In her maiden speech, Cele-Luthuli said she was honoured and humbled by the confidence shown to her by councillors and the ANC which represents her.
“I wish to convey my sincere appreciation to the leaders who served before me in this position who diligently led this municipality and ensured the advancement of service delivery. Indeed, I have great shoes to fill. I vow to continue to advance the mandate of service delivery effectively, honourably, and transparently. I want to give thanks to the former deputy mayor of Umdoni, Mthandeni Mbutho who has been acting in this position since October 2023. His hard work has been evident. On behalf of this council, I thank you for your leadership and dedication,” she said.
She added: “I will take over and continue to run this race for the term that remains for this council fully aware of the task ahead in terms of fulfilling service delivery goals, we have set out as council. This includes the development of infrastructure in both rural and urban areas of the municipality. As councillors of Umdoni, we must make sure that we prioritise service delivery.”
Meanwhile, the ANC Tolomane Mnyayiza Region has congratulated Cele-Luthuli on her appointment.
In a statement, the region said: “Having served with distinction as the municipal speaker comrade Mbali now takes on the role of mayor, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a proven commitment to public service. The ANC Tolomane Mnyayiza Region expresses its unwavering confidence that she will spearhead the municipality with distinction, addressing the needs and aspirations of the community of Umdoni.”
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