Municipal managers unmasked for not being qualified to do their jobs

The Zululand district municipality’s qualification verification process has revealed five senior managers are not qualified for their jobs while two do not have any post-matric qualifications. 

This follows a seven day ultimatum by mayor Thulasizwe Buthelezi to 34 senior managers to submit their qualifications for verification to ensure compliance with municipal competency levels for senior managers.

“The verification process revealed some senior managers do not possess the appropriate qualifications while others do not have any qualifications at all [post-matric].  

“Zululand district municipality will implement consequence management on the affected managers, and some cases will lead to disciplinary hearings being convened,” said Buthelezi.

The process has led to seven posts becoming available. 

Buthelezi said the posts will immediately be advertised “as a result of resignations and the reconfiguration of duties to allow new skills to be brought into the municipality”. 

They include: 

• deputy director: disaster management; 
• deputy director: corporate services; 
• deputy director: airport services; 
• deputy director: local economic development;
• deputy director: human resources; 
• deputy director: special projects, and; 
• manager: fleet services. 

The mayor previously emphasised that retaining only qualified managers would provide an opportunity for a turnaround strategy and put the municipality in a position to eradicate dysfunctional governance and mismanagement.

“This is a new era. The people of Zululand have entrusted the new administration with a responsibility to deliver. To serve them with integrity and diligence, the municipality needs to act swiftly, making sure suitable incumbents are placed in the right managerial positions,” the mayor said previously.

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