BCM steps up search for new city boss

THE hunt for a new Buffalo City Metro municipal manager is on and eight seasoned officials have made the cut.

Mayor Xola Pakati told the Dispatch yesterday that the municipality had received 47 applications.

“Of the 47, we shortlisted eight. These are the candidates we will be interviewing next week,” said Pakati.

However, the mayor, who is also the head of the interviewing panel, refused to give details of who the shortlisted candidates were, as the process remained confidential.

But the Dispatch can reveal today that among the top eight are:

● Chief executive of South African Local Government Administration (Salga) Xolile George;

● Amathole municipal Chris Magwangqana;

● BCM’s head of engineering services Nceba Ncunyane, who served for more than a year as acting municipal manager when the council suspended the now expelled municipal manager Andile Fani. Council expelled Fani last September; manager

● Johannesburg City parks and zoo’s general manager Bulumko Nelani. He is also the former head of department of economic development and environmental affairs; and

● Nelson Mandela Bay Metro’s head of corporate services Vuyo Zitumane, who yesterday told the Dispatch she had withdrawn.

Asked if they believed they had attracted the interest of suitable candidates for the tasks ahead, Pakati said it “will be premature to make that determination at this stage because it will be the interviews which will determine that.

“In terms of qualifications, they meet them in terms of what was in the advert,” said Pakati.

The advert for the R2.5-million-ayear job was published in January. It required key qualifications – a degree in social science or public administration or law or equivalent, 10 years management experience, as well as a certificate in municipal financial management as an added advantage.

When the council adopted a plan to fill the vacant position earlier this year, it set a deadline for the end of this week, but this was later extended to the end of April.

Pakati admitted that the April deadline would not be met either.

“We are running a little bit behind. But we hope that we will have finalised this process by May,” he added.

Ncunyana and Magwangqana refused to comment. Nelani and George could not be reached.