DURBAN - FORMER eThekwini city manager Sipho Nzuza has described the candidate selection process for the position – presided over by ANC councillors – as a sham, saying that the governing party already knows who it will appoint.
He was commenting following an uproar over alleged interference by ANC KZN chairperson Sihle Zikalala in the selection process for city manager, which was this week defended by mayor Mxolisi Kaunda.
Nzuza said that the make-up of the interviewing panel made it clear that the ANC had already identified their candidate.
“I am afraid other candidates are just there to add numbers so that the process may be seen to be legitimate and above board, but it is now preordained as to who they are going for,” said Nzuza.
According to him, the current selection process was already raising suspicion because of the make-up of the panel.
“What should have been done here is to follow the same model used previously, which is to get executive committee members to be part of the interviewing panel, and perhaps add representatives from civil society to make the process credible. The mere fact that Zikalala’s name has been mentioned in the selection process raises suspicion,” said Nzuza. He suggested that as an alternative an independent body of professionals should carry out the process so that it was seen as transparent and legitimate.
Nzuza, who left the city’s top job under a cloud, described the position as “a poisoned chalice”, saying no qualification or amount of experience would help the candidate because of constant political interference.
“That position needs a strong character with the ability and courage to tell politicians when to back off, and to demand commitment to work from the top management right down to the lowest-ranking staff member. Under the current conditions at the municipality, telling politicians off would not work.”
Nzuza left the municipality after being on suspension for several months following his arrest on allegations of fraud linked to multimillion-rand Durban Solid Waste contract. He is attending the trial alongside former mayor Zandile Gumede and other ANC councillors.
According to Nzuza, some of the requirements for the top job include:
- Long-term vision, planning and execution.
- Ability to rally all staff members behind a single vision.
- Great negotiation skills due to the wide range of figures and organisations that the city manager interacts with. “The candidate must have extensive knowledge of how the municipality works as a sphere of government, be an excellent communicator and possess co-ordinating skills,” he said.
He expressed his disappointment with his term at the municipality, lamenting how his vision had been thwarted by constant political meddling.
“My ambition was to take the municipality to the same level as the City of Cape Town, but that was stopped in its tracks by politicians, and that left me very frustrated. I have stories of how on numerous occasions I was frustrated by politicians,” Nzuza said.
He described senior managers as stubborn, in a constant power struggle over positions and refusing to take instruction because they served the interests of their political bosses, from whom they got protection.
Nzuza warned that the current political set-up, where the ANC’s regional chairperson was a shoo-in for the position of city mayor, was a negative development that would continue to haunt the city. He said one of the dangers at the municipality was that some staff members were active governing party members, and this gave them a sense that they could do as they please.
According to Nzuza, Dr Mike Sutcliffe was a lucky city manager because then-mayor Obed Mlaba did not interfere with the administrative affairs of the municipality, and there was support from the governing party’s regional office. He said the city’s decline, especially of its finances, should be a wake-up call that politics should be separated from administration.
“A city as big as eThekwini should not be in negative territory when it comes to finances, and should have plenty in its reserves. Again this underlines the extent of the problem at toplevel management,” said Nzuza.
He dismissed suggestions that he was bitter because of the manner in which he had left office, and stressed that the selection process should be credible.
ANC KZN spokesperson Nhlakanipho Ntombela dismissed suggestions that the ANC interfered with the administration of municipalities, stressing that it only gave instructions to mayors who it had deployed.
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