Durban - THE newly-appointed head of Parks, Recreation and Culture for eThekwini Municipality has set a target of 120 days to make considerable changes at the troubled unit that has been struggling to deliver on its mandate.
Simphiwe Ndlovu, 45, took charge of Durban's leisure facilities – such as beaches, parks, museums and heritage sites, as well as libraries and cemeteries – last week.
Apart from the destruction caused by the recent floods, the parks unit has been labelled a failure by residents owing to its poor maintenance of public facilities such as pools and beaches, as well as its sub-standard provision of services such as grass-cutting, among other complaints.
Ndlovu, who has a PhD in public administration and leadership from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and left the state-owned Ithala Bank as executive programmes manager to take up the position, understands the challenges and the mammoth task before him.
He said he had spent his first week visiting the parks and storage sites to assist with the diagnosis of what needed to be done. He admitted that some of the challenges facing the unit were dry swimming pools, grass-cutting issues, and the shortage of burial space.
He said some of the issues dated as far back as the 2017 floods and had been worsened by the lockdown and the recent floods. He identified faulty grass-cutting machines and long supply chain processes as a result of poor maintenance as further challenges facing the unit.
“Unfortunately, we had a disaster that added to existing problems, and all issues need budgets. The state of our botanical gardens is not good, I must admit. “In my first 120 days, I want to fill all critical posts. We have many employees serving in an acting capacity.
I want to develop a business plan and policy framework, as well as restructure and form partnerships with the government departments we work with. “Our swimming pools are in a bad state. I want to attend to that urgently and make sure they function when the festive season comes,” he said.
The parks unit is among the biggest in the city, with a staff complement of 3 900. However, Ndlovu said it did not have enough employees when one considered the extent of the services it offered and areas it served.
“We will need to do restructuring. I need all the staff motivated and driven by service delivery. We have a responsibility to return Durban to its former glory as a preferred holiday destination. I want to give Durban’s residents the best service, whether it’s beaches, halls or cemeteries.
“There are engagement evaluations (underway) regarding land required for burial space,” he said. Ndlovu believed his unit played a critical role in human life from birth to death, and said libraries, parks and cemeteries were key infrastructure.
He said social cohesion activities would be revived to unite communities and ensure all cultures were preserved to build the nation. When asked whether he felt up to the task, given its complexity, Ndlovu said he was an experienced civil servant, having worked for Ilembe District Municipality, Home Affairs, and then Cogta, before joining Ithala.
He said he was familiar with the city’s challenges, as he had worked closely with the municipality during his time at Cogta. He said he would be putting processes in place to deliver on the unit’s core mandate within four months to change whatever was within his power.
“I don’t want to make excuses about finances – I’m more interested in solutions. We have a mammoth task. As the head, I will have to come up with efficient and effective processes to restructure the department and bring in more talent and improve that which we already have.
“I joined the unit at the end of the financial year. I think the timing works in my favour. In a month, we will be starting a new financial year. We will be able to reprioritise the budget, and I invite you to come back a year later to see the progress,” he said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE