Sihlahla likely to become BCM’s new city boss
BUFFALO City Metro mayor Xola Pakati will table a report tomorrow to recommend Andile Sihlahla as the new municipal manager.
This comes after the ANC provincial deployment committee endorsed a report with Sihlahla as the most suitable candidate for the job.
But metro spokesman Sibusiso Cindi was only able to confirm the mayor would table his report tomorrow.
Cindi said the contents of the “pink paper” report remained confidential.
“Since this is a pink item, a private council document, it will be against BCM policy to comment on the content of the report.
“At the right time, the mayor will make an announcement as to who is the new BCM city manager,” said Cindi.
The Dispatch has reported several times about the metro’s plan to fill the vacant positions including the accounting officer post left vacant when the previous council fired the then-municipal manager Andile Fani.
Pakati led the interviewing panel after the council set the end of May as the deadline to fill the position.
More than 40 people applied for the job, and the most highly qualified candidates, including Sihlahla; BCM’s director of engineering services Nceba Ncunyane; and Nelson Mandela’s corporate services head Vuyo Zitumane, who subsequently withdrew from the race, were among those short-listed.
Following the interviews, Sihlahla received the highest points and his candidacy for the R2.7-million job was endorsed by the ANC regional deployment committee a week later.
His recommendation formed part of a report tabled to the ANC’s deployment committee in Calata House last week.
Komani-born Sihlahla is a Fort Hare University law graduate, and has been a national leader of both the South African Students Congress (Sasco) during his university years, and South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu).
He is the former municipal manager of the Great Kei municipality.
Pakati, when asked to confirm Sihlahla as the person likely to fill the post, also refused to be drawn into discussing a confidential matter.
“Yes, we have concluded the interviews and as a panel made a decision on the suitable candidate,” he told the Dispatch earlier this month.
Contacted yesterday, the mayor remained mum on the matter.
But a source close to the developments said: “On Friday the council will appoint Sihlahla. The ANC caucus met yesterday and agreed to support him as per provincial deployment committee endorsement.”
According to the processes, corporative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Fikile Xasa will have to concur with the council decision before the mayor can make the offer to hire Sihlahla.