Durban - Former eThekwini municipal manager Michael Sutcliffe is set to bounce back into public service – this time as a consultant to all three spheres of government on major development and economic projects.
Sutcliffe has teamed up with a Durban-based consultant, Sue Bannister, to establish a consultancy called City Insight (Pty) Ltd.
Sutcliffe served as the eThekwini municipal manager for more than nine years and has extensive international and local experience in municipal governance, urbanisation, economic analysis and municipal demarcation matters.
He said on Monday that he was not ready to talk about his new venture, suggesting that next month would be the best time to do so.
The new company’s website says: “We are experienced programme executives with proven aptitude for managing a wide range of projects and programmes, having a strong capacity for providing direction to achieve broad economic developmental goals.
“We provide consulting and advisory services.”
Bannister has experience in managing a range of projects and programmes.
Her curriculum vitae says that she played a critical role in developing Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium. “This included developing political and financial motivations for the project and adjudicating the design tender.”
She also served as the deputy head of the strategic project unit for the eThekwini municipality, where she “spearheaded a number of successful mega-events bids” on behalf of the city.
Sutcliffe is suing the city for R10 million for allegedly defaming him by suggesting that the city lost R1.1m because of his failure to report fraud.
The matter is before court and the city is defending the lawsuit filed by Sutcliffe for “false and disparaging” comments allegedly made by the city manager, S’bu Sithole, in relation to the Manase Report on fraud and corruption in the city. - The Mercury