Mayor of Zululand Demands Municipal Manager’s Proof of Qualifications, Wants To Verify if They Are Legit

• The mayor of Zululand, Thulasizwe Buthelezi, has given his municipal managers a week to show their qualifications for verification
• Zululand's municipality has not been audited once in the 21 years since it was formed, an issue Buthelezi wishes to address
• South Africans support Buthelezi's move ,with many saying that all municipalities in South Africa should be audited

ULUNDI - Thulasizwe Buthelezi, the recently re-elected mayor of Zululand, has given senior managers in his municipality a week to present their qualifications for verification purposes.

The Zululand municipal council was formed 21 years ago and in that time no audit has been done. Buthelezi aims to achieve an accountable and competent municipal leadership structure.

“About 37 senior managers — including the municipal manager, heads of departments, deputy general managers and managers — have seven days to submit their qualifications. This is in line with the guideline for municipal competency,” Buthelezi said.

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The importance of competent leaders in municipalities

According to TimesLIVE, Buthelezi campaigned on a platform of transparent governance in the build-up to the local government election at the beginning of the month.

Velenkosini Hlabisa, the head of the IFP who Buthelezi represents, said that the party strives for leadership that is of a superior level and champions integrity, The Witness reports.

The main factor that drove Buthelezi's decision to audit the municipality's senior management is that many of the posts have been filled by the same people for several years, and the managers have not been verified.

Reactions to Zululand's municipal manager audit

@BunnyBSA believes:

"No need for seven days, they should submit immediately."

@Lycan_213 said:

"This should be done at every municipality throughout the country. We can't have someone who is in possession of a grade 12 certificate only yet he or she is occupying a position of being an internal auditor."

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@Mzwandi92200851 shared:

"All municipalities must adopt this and say within 2 days."

@chrisfvz remarked:

"The fake matric certificate machine is working overtime."

@kaya_kenneth said:

"Wonderful! Hopefully they'll fined the undeserving and hire qualified and competent candidates that will bring in better quality of life."

IFP tramples on coalition deal with ANC in eThekwini

Previously Briefly News reported that In another glaring about-turn by the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the party abstained on a vote to confirm the ANC’s nominee for council speaker in eThekwini.

The move comes after the IFP last week confirmed that it would cooperate with the ANC in the province's hung municipalities, following another previous decision where it stated that its stance is to have no dealings with the ruling party.

However, it seems the IFP has now made up its mind as its decision to abstain from the vote effectively cost the governing ANC mayoral candidacy in eThekwini.

Source: Briefly News