DURBAN - Long-standing EThekwini Municipality Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Krish Kumar is set to retire.
Kumar has been with the city for 40 years, 24 of which were spent as the city’s CFO.
The news that Kumar was about to leave surfaced a few days ago and was confirmed during a confidential discussion during the executive committee meeting earlier this week.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi let the cat out of the bag during the council meeting yesterday, as he said that not only was the deputy mayor and the chair of the Finance Committee Belinda Scott leaving, but Kumar was also leaving.
It was announced recently that Scott, who joined the municipality almost a year ago, was leaving. Scott has been appointed as Chief of Staff and Chief Operating Officer of commercial property regeneration experts, Urban Lime.
“I feel for you (ANC) the deputy mayor and the CFO are leaving at the same time, it must be hard for you,” Nkosi said.
In a brief interview with The Mercury yesterday, Kumar said he felt it was time to leave. Kumar is retiring, although he did have the option to stay on if he wished to.
“After 40 years in the city and 24 as the CFO, I leave on a high, with the city’s finances doing well. We have the highest rate of collections.
“I am grateful for the opportunity and for the city to allow me to serve. There have been many accomplishments and many of these have even been recognised internationally,” he said.
He intimated that the decision may have also been brought on by a personal tragedy. He said he recently lost a brother, to whom he was very close.
He said he had also contracted Covid-19 and had been fortunate to fight it off.
He revealed he was diagnosed a day before the Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda was diagnosed.
Kumar said he would not be leaving his post immediately but would stay until a suitable replacement was found, to ensure there was a smooth transition.
Opposition parties, speaking on condition of anonymity as the matter is still considered a confidential council item, said Kumar’s resignation was a big loss for the municipality.
“He is an institution; it will be very hard to find a person to replace him. We understand that he will remain in the city on a month to month contract until the city finds another person with whom to replace him.
“The chair of finance stated she is resigning and then the CFO also says he is resigning. This is extremely concerning and might be an indication that something is not right in the municipality.
“They left at a bad time when the community members needed answers especially from the CFO. They needed answers, with regard to the RMS billing system which has made the lives of many in EThekwini very difficult.”
Another councillor said Kumar’s resignation was a big loss for the municipality. “It's a crisis. Krish was the thin blue line that kept many corrupt officials away from the cookie jar.
“His early departure is a sign of trouble and the city will undoubtedly not replace him with a person of his ethical and intellectual qualities,” said the councillor.
The Mercury