Johnathan Paoli
Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has appointed Jongizizwe Dlabathi from the African National Congress (ANC) as the new Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) of Finance.
Xhakaza said on Saturday that the decision was taken after careful consideration and extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders in terms of section 60 of the Municipal Structures Act.
“Alderman Dlabathi brings strategic acumen and extensive expertise in local government practice to this role and has been instrumental in promoting good governance and effective financial management across municipalities in Gauteng,” he said.
The Mayor said he was confident that the appointment would significantly strengthen the metro’s institutional capacity, support efforts to enhance financial sustainability and to increase revenue improvement in the city, adding that Dlabathi’s appointment would assist the metro in addressing the regression from losing its clean audit opinion from the Auditor-General of South Africa.
“Dlabathi’s efforts have focused on ensuring the financial viability of municipalities and supporting the drive for good governance, which are critical for improving cash flow liquidity and overall financial health of local governments,” the mayor said.
Dlabathi served as the Whip of Council since 2016, and currently holds the position of Provincial Chair of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) in Gauteng.
He is an internal auditor by profession, and has worked for the Office of the Auditor General, as well as being the Information Systems and Performance Auditor for the city of Johannesburg.
Before joining Ekurhuleni as a Strategic Advisor to the late and former Finance MMC Moses Makwakwa, he served PRASA Corporate Real Estate division as an Internal Audit Assistant Manager and the Assistant Manager responsible for procurement.
He holds a B-Tech Degree in Internal Auditing from the Tshwane University of Technology as well as post graduate qualifications in Project and Supply Chain Management from the Regent Business School and the University of Pretoria.
Ekurhuleni ANC Regional Task Team Deputy-Coordinator Moipone Mhlongo welcomed the appointment as necessary in light of the metro’s current challenges.
“With his wealth of knowledge and experience in local government, we are optimistic that he will live up to the expectations as set by the Executive Mayor, amidst the current challenges faced by the portfolio,” Mhlongo.
Xhakaza removed the former Finance MMC and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial chair Nkululeko Dunga from the position two days before he was to deliver the budget speech at an extraordinary council meeting last month at the Alberton Civic Centre.
He said the decision to remove Dunga was made following the metro’s inability to agree on the contents of the budget, with Ekurhuleni previously failing to pass a budget twice under his stewardship.
In his position as the coordinator of the ANC’s Ekurhuleni RTT, Dlabathi welcomed the decision and said he firmly believed that MMCs should be committed to a coordinated way of governance, under the guidance of the executive mayor, including accountability, which was not the case.
“This decision was accordingly endorsed following the governance update report which pointed to fundamental weaknesses on how the budget process has been handled as well as the seriously regressing financial position of the city,” he said.
Furthermore, Xhakaza said the recruitment process for a new Group Chief Financial Officer (GCFO) was in its final stages and these developments aligned with the preparations for the upcoming audit period, and ensured a strong financial leadership in place to support fiscal responsibilities and enhance financial management processes.
“This strategic addition to our team underscores our commitment to ensuring sound financial management and improving service delivery agility to our community,” he said.
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