Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Athol Trollip on Monday announced a reshuffling and an addition to his mayoral committee team.
The public health directorate had been vacant for months after former deputy mayor Mongameli Bobani was fired from the position amidst corruption allegations.
Since Bobani was booted from the position, Trollip himself has been heading up the department. Lance Grootboom, from coalition partner the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) will now head the public health directorate.
"When we came into government we started with the war on waste project and under Mayor Trollip that initiative has started to push through. I am going to ensure that our city is clean, that is my main priority. People who dump illegally will be fined, we will ensure that our parks and open spaces are beautiful," said Grootboom.
Grootboom will be released from chairing the public accounts committee. Corporate services head, councillor Dean Biddulph recently resigned to take up an opportunity in the private sector, and his position will now be filled by councillor Annette Lovemore.
Lovemore, a former member of Parliament, was heading up the infrastructure and engineering department and has been working to resolve the metro's water woes.
"My passion is not particular, my passion is to make a difference in the city of my birth. I am a detail-orientated person. I have a number of challenges I immediately face which I aim to take by the neck and make work of. Things like the overtime policy, you are aware that there is currently a moratorium on the overtime policy, and we now have six months to work on that and find a workable solution," said Lovemore.
Councillor Masixole Zinto will now take over from Lovemore.
"I'm not new in the standing committee, I have been sitting there since August. From a maintenance background I have been working at VW working as an electrician running a shift as a group leader so that the experience I am bringing is understanding the townships and the problems. Councillor Lovemore has laid a beautiful ground for me," said Zinto.
Nelson Mandela Bay will be without a deputy mayor after a motion was brought at a council meeting earlier this month to have the position rescinded.