Cape Town - City mayor Patricia de Lille reshuffled her cabinet on Monday after one of her mayoral committee (Mayco) members resigned to take up a civil servant position at the city.
Shehaam Sims, responsible for utility services, resigned when she secured the position of chief director for urbanisation at the City of Cape Town.
De Lille took the opportunity to move three councillors to new portfolios and appointed councillor Garreth Bloor as the Mayco member responsible for economic, environmental and spatial planning. Bloor previously headed the portfolio committee in the council responsible for oversight over spatial planning and economic matters in the council.
De Lille said Bloor worked hard as committee chairman, repealing 34 old policies and helping to strengthen economic development in the city.
This is the second time in three months that De Lille has made a change to her cabinet. In October she removed Beverley Cortje-Alcock after she failed to pay her election fees of R14 062 in full. She was replaced by Suzette Little.
“Two years into our term I can see where people’s strengths are and the reshuffle will help us refocus for the remainder of the term. There are no major shifts, we will just work better,” said De Lille.
Belinda Walker was moved from economic matters to community services. Ernest Sonnenberg will no longer head human settlements but will be in charge of utility services.
Thandeka Gqada moves from community services to head human settlements.
Earlier this year, De Lille identified housing as a priority for her administration.
De Lille said Gqada was best placed to help with her plans and was committed to redressing the legacy of apartheid.
Meanwhile, Sims said her new position as a civil servant would be more of the same work she did when she was part of Mayco.
She told De Lille last year about her intentions to take the new job.
De Lille said the appointment of a man in the position Sims left vacant had not affected gender parity on the current Mayco.
Cape Times