Neil Diamond
Mayor laments MM’s departure as ‘big loss’
MBOMBELA - Outgoing City of Mbombela Local Municipality manager,
Neil Diamond has assured the business sector and residents of the city that he will leave the council in good hands.
Speaking at the Church Unlimited Business Breakfast on Friday morning, Diamond confirmed his resignation saying he was leaving the council on good terms due to personal reasons.
His resignation was tabled to council later the same morning. Diamond said the turnaround strategy he had implemented to establish a financially sound local government with a transparent, clean administration that delivers quality services to the citizens of Mbombela, was on track.
“When I joined the council, there were only three general managers of the executive management committee that were employed permanently. Today all 15 of them are permanent. As I leave, I believe I leave the council in capable hands to continue to steer the ship in the right direction,” said Diamond.
He said the morale among the employees was also high.
“Another issue that I have installed in the council is to work as a team. It was not me alone who implemented the turnaround strategy. I made each and every employee, starting from the management to groundsmen, be accountable. Also, when I joined the municipality, the merger had just started to form the City of Mbombela Local Municipality (CMLM). The morale of the workers was low and you could see that there was tension. But as I leave, I can assure the business sector and the residents of the CMLM that the council is in good hands to deliver services to its communities,” added Diamond.
He said the hefty debt that was owed to Eskom has since been paid off, though it was difficult to do so and the council had also managed to reduce its creditors, which saved hundreds of millions.
“The financial situation of the council is better now. Yes, we are not ready to run a Comrades Marathon. We are still patients but we are out of the ICU. It will take around five years for the council to be financially stable. I plead with the business sector to continue to pay services that are rendered by the council to you. Also, those residents who can afford to pay, must pay. Yes, we understand that there are those residents who are indigent. We can not say because they are indigent, we will cut off services. It is their basic human right to have electricity and water.”
He added that he enjoyed his stay in the city. “When I was first approached by former premier, David Mabuza, to come and help and turn around the municipality, I was reluctant to accept the offer at first, to be honest. I did not even know where Mbombela was situated in South Africa.
But when I first set my feet here, I was attracted by not only the city’s geographical beauty, but also the warmth of the people of the area. I completely enjoyed my stay here in the province. However, due to personal reasons, I have to leave.”
The pastors of the church prayed for Diamond. Past Rob Gibbs said in God that the team Diamond set up at the CMLM would continue where he left off.
“God, we believe that you will continue to lead him (Diamond) for the future that You prepared for him in advance. We also believe that the team that he set up at the CMLM will continue to lead us,” added Gibbs.
Diamond will relocate to the US where he will join his family already there.