Mandela Bay mayor reshuffles committee

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 amid corruption allegations.

Since Bobani was booted from the position, Trollip himself has been heading up the department. Lance Grootboom, from coalition partner the African Christian Democratic Party, 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,” said Grootboom, who will be released from chairing the public accounts committee.

“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.

Corporate services head councillor Dean Biddulph recently resigned to take up an opportunity in the private sector,and his position will now be filled by councillor Annette Lovemore.

Lovemore, a former member of parliament, was heading up the infrastructure and engineering department and has been working to resolve the metro’s water woes.

“My passion is not particular; my passion is to make a difference in the city of my birth,” said Lovemore.

“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. Things like the overtime policy, you are aware that 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 now 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 as an electrician running a shift as a group leader; so that the experience I am bringing is understanding the townships and the problems. 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will be without a deputy mayor after a motion was brought at a council meeting earlier this month to have the position rescinded. – ANA