Cape Town - The City of Cape Town has reappointed its current city manager, Lungelo Mbandazayo.
Mbandazayo joined the City as a director of legal strategy in 2015.
He was later appointed acting executive director of corporate services, which led to his permanent appointment as executive director of corporate services in January 2017.
He occupied the position for a year before being appointed city manager in January 2018.
Mbandazayo has an extensive legal career spanning more than three decades, which includes serving as an acting magistrate in Bloemfontein and running a law firm in the Eastern Cape.
“I am a public servant, it is a wonderful thing to be able to play a part in improving the lives of the millions of people the City serves in so many ways. It is a tremendous privilege to be in this position and it is also an enormous responsibility.
“From here on, my focus will be on a range of new goals. We are going to scale our performance together to meet the outcome of our ambitious new Integrated Development Plan,” Mbandazayo said.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis hailed Mbandazayo as a person of principle, courage and firm values.
“In a country where basic spinal rectitude is sorely lacking in the state, with so many people who simply refuse to stand for anything, Mr Mbandazayo stands apart. He took over as city manager at a time of great instability. He has succeeded in stabilising the organisation, even when this has required dispensing bitter medicine.
“While it was not defining in the decision to appoint him, it is nevertheless wonderful and inspiring to see a candidate who grew up in the rural Eastern Cape … to rise to be the city manager of South Africa’s greatest city. Indeed, it is made all the more heart-warming to know that he has achieved this on merit. Lungelo has our support, our backing, our full confidence,” said Hill-Lewis.
Cape Times