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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.

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