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Appointment of NMBM municipal manager postponed again


The appointment of a new municipal manager for Nelson Mandela Bay has been postponed again, with the closing date for applications for the position now extended to October 12.

The closing date for applications for the position of Chief Financial Officer has also been extended to the same date.

Applications have not yet been advertised for a number of executive directors’ positions that are vacant.

The municipal manager’s position has been filled in an acting capacity since July 2009 when Graham Richards took special leave to allow an investigation into alleged service delivery failures to take place.

The CFO’s position has been vacant since Kevin Jacoby took up a similar position with the Cape Town Municipality earlier this year.

The extension of the closing date means that Themba Hani, appointed by Eastern Cape Local Government and Traditional Affairs MEC Mlibo Qoboshiyane, will continue to serve in an acting capacity.

Selwyn Thys, head of Budget and Financial Accounting, continues as Acting CFO.

In terms of the initial time frames adopted by Council on August 30, approval of the new municipal manager and CFO were to have been put to Council at its next meeting on October 11.

A report to Council on the last attempt to fill the vacancy, initiated on October 27 last year, states that there were 32 applicants for the position of municipal manager of which four were shortlisted.

One of these withdrew before interviews were conducted four months had elapsed between the date on which the position was advertised and the invitation being issued for interviews.

The report says the standard recruitment timeline for the municipality is three months. The original intention had been for the new municipal manager to take up his position from December 1.

That date is now likely to be changed to January 1.

The new timelines for the shortlisting of candidates and the conducting of interviews as well as the completion of security checks and vetting of qualifications is expected to be put to Council when it meets on October 11.