Nelson Mandela Bay reshuffle
NELSON Mandela Bay mayor Athol Trollip yesterday 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 after corruption allegations.
Since Bobani was booted from the position, Trollip has been heading the department.
Lance Grootboom from coalition partner the ACDP will now head the public health directorate.
“When we came into government we started with the war on waste project and under 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, who 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. His position will be filled by councillor Annette Lovemore, a former MP who was heading up the infrastructure and engineering department and has been working to resolve the metro’s water woes.
“My passion is not particular… it 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. 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 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 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Mandela Bay will be without a deputy mayor after a motion was brought at a meetingthis month to have the position rescinded. – African News Agency/ANA