DURBAN – New Durban city manager, Sipho Nzuza received a warm welcome at the eThekwini Municipality Executive Committee meeting at the City Hall on Thursday.
However,he was also urged by the opposition to work with all the deputy city managers and be available when needed.
Introducing Nzuza, Mayor Zandile Gumede said the the new city manager was part of the budget hearings which have been ongoing around the city.
“We want you to help implement the manifesto we as politicians were appointed for. We want to ensure that we don’t repeat the wrongs of the past and we believe that you have the capability to lead this municipality. We want to be seen holding hands working together for the better of our people,” Gumede said.
DA councillor, Heinz De Boer urged Nzuza to do his job without being unduly influenced from anyone and urged him to steer clear of politics.
He said they hoped that he will be a responsive city manager.
“You have a very challenging job ahead of you. We look forward to working with you to take this city forward. I was fortunate to be part of the interview process and I must say I’ll hold you to what you said during those interviews. There have been discrepancies in the city contracts and as an administrative head, we hope that you will attend to the areas that need attention,” De Boer said.
Nzuza, the former Port of Cape Town manager said he was up for the challenge.
“We need to come together as a team and work on the issues affecting our people. During those hearings I have been taking notes and people are reasonable. They want simple things, service delivery and I think this is easy to achieve,” Nzuza said.
Nzuza thanked the “warm welcome” from the councillors.
Where I come form one of the things that I realised is that we are sitting with a huge (potential)… right here, the
Durban Port. It’s the busiest port and I don’t see why we don’t tap into those benefits. Before I came here I had a meeting with Transnet’s group CEO to map out a way of how we should work,” Nzuza said.