Skip to main content

MBABANE CITY COUNCIL TUSSLE WITH MINISTER OVER CITY CEO APPOINTMENT

Mbabane City Council logo (sourced online)

Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze

It would seem that the council of the Mbabane City are not in agreement with the Minister of Housing and Urban Development Appolo Maphalala on the appointment of Ms Gcinile Fakudze as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Town Clerk of the City.

Although Ms Fakudze is reported to come with a wealth of relevant qualifications and experience in managing municipalities having previously served in Siteki and Matsapha respectively in a similar engagement, the council in Mbabane is believed not to have preferred her as their CEO. Media reports from both newspapers in Eswatini the Weekend Observer as well as the Eswatini News have suggested that the person recommended to the minister by the city council polled third and very low in the  interview rankings carried out by the consultant engaged to do the work.

The situation then gave rise to the stand off between the council and the minister where councillors including the Mayor of Mbabane City boycotted the minister's occasion to unveil Ms Fakudze as CEO. When asked by the Times of Eswatini reporter why he had not attended the unveiling the Mayor Mr Thulani Mkhonto is reported to have nonchalantly replied that, “You should have asked those who called the press conference why they did that without our presence”.

Minsiter Appolo Maphalala (second from left) announcing Ms Gciniwe Fakudze (far right in white jacket) as the new CEO of Mbabane City.
The appointment of the CEO’s or Town Clerks is governed by the Urban Government Act of 1969. According to section 48 (1 and 3) of this act the council appoints the CEO, however the minister is empowered to endorse the appointment. On Section 48 (1) the act says, “A Council shall appoint a fit person to be Town Clerk upon such terms and conditions as it may determine” and then (3) it says ,"The appointment of a person as Town Clerk and the terms and conditions of such appointments is in all respects subject to the approval of the minister".

It is not clear what course of action will be undertaken by the council to challenge Minister Maphalala on the appointment or  even whether the council will be cooperative towards the CEO as she takes over the running of possibly the most important urban space in the country, the capital city of Mbabane.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SIKELELA NGWENYA MAKES A COMEBACK AS PRESIDENT OF NAWUSHI

Sikelela Ngwenya makes a comeback as President of NAWUSHI  Picture: Newly elected President of NAWUSHI Comrade Sikelela Ngwenya (Picture courtesy of Comrade Sikelela on Facebook) Written by Fundizwi Sikhondze Comrade Sikelela Ngwenya has made a comeback as the president of the National Workers Union in Swaziland Higher Institutions (NAWUSHI). This after getting elected to the position at their 1st quadrennial conference that took place at eSibayeni lodge in Matsapha on the 24th and 25th March 2022. To win the position comrade Sikelela beat off a stiff challenge  from Comrade Simon Dlamini from the Sebenta National Institute branch of NAWUSHI.  Comrade Sikelela is one of two  leaders of the previous NEC that were re-elected into the new NEC in the conference. The other NEC member that made it back is comrade Mpendulo Mkhonta  and he retained the position of Vice Treasurer. It is worth noting that Comrade Sikelela had previously served in the same position of...

70 individuals appointed into Emabandla at a high cost to the fiscus

  Eswatini Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo (online picture) King Mswati III the Head of State of Eswatini on Saturday issued a directive through the Attorney General Sifiso Khumalo appointing around 70 individuals into several national committees, also known as Emabandla. The appointments come more than a month after the term of office of the previous Emabandla’s term of office came to an end and their term in office was extended indefinitely by the King through a gazette issued by the Attorney General. The several Emabandla announced are as follows, Board of Trustees (7), the Minerals Management Board (7) , Ludzidzini Council (20), Civil Service Commission (5) , Liqoqo Council (20), the Land Management Board (5) and the Teaching Service Commission (5). The National Chief Defence Officer was also announced. The newly appointed Board of Trustees members are as follows: Neal Rikjernberg (Finance Minister and Chairperson), Princess Tiyandza, Chief Ndabankulu Simelane, Chief Mgwagw...

The history of Swaziland Labour Law

1.    THE HISTRORY OF SWAZI LABOUR LAW – BY NATHI GUMEDE It is difficult to proceed with issues of individual and collective Swazi Labour law without outlining the key events in the history of the Swazi Labour Movement. Though by no means comprehensive and very accurate, here are some events that have shaped Swazi Labour Law. 1937 – Wages Determining Proclamation 1947 – Trade Union Dispute Proclamation No 31 of 1942 1960 – F.C. Catchpole Commission on Labour Relations Socialization reports absence of trade unions 1962 – Pulp and Timber Worker’s Union established with Pan-Africanist influence as the first trade union; the union called the first strike the same year 1963 - Second Strike of the Pulp and Timber Worker’s Union spread into a National Strike (66,000 man hours). The National strike led to the formation of the Swaziland Democratic party and the Swaziland Progressive Party. The strike was thwarted by the First Battalion of Gordon Highlands from Ken...