ETHEKWINI Mayor Zandile Gumede says the City needs to have more programs than events because programs can sustain themselves.
The Mayor was speaking at a mayoral breakfast at the Moses Mabhida Stadium at the official welcoming of the newly appointed municipal manager Sipho Nzuza on Friday.
“It cannot be business as usual as we are gunning for radical economic and inclusive growth.”
“Strategies are there already, all we need to do is move forward. We are pleased and excited to have the new city manager who will help to implement our electoral mandate as an ANC run municipality. We believe in the principle of continuity and change were there is a need. We expect the new city manager to continue to do the good job that was done by the past city manager,” she said.
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The event was attended by business and community stakeholders. Taking to the podium, Nzuza said he was committed to radical economic transformation and inclusive growth.
“We want to accelerate the rate of growth and development to ensure that there is radical economic transformation, particularly in rural areas.”
“Our plan is to assist rural based economies. There is currently a plan to ensure that rural areas become part of the tourism sector. Already we have foreigners who want to visit these areas.We will build on all strengths of the city and strive to improve it. We will ensure assistance to those, especially young blacks who want to engage in business, to assist with radical economic transformation. We have already hosted a number of empowerment workshops to that effect,” Nzuza said.
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The Mayor also said the city was working on one central number people can call for all municipal inquiries.
“We made a commitment to our communities that we are going to turn things around and move forward.”
“We want to partner with the business economy, reduce outsourcing in our municipality. That was our mandate from our workers. Improve public participation and we want Councillors to be accountable, intensify the fight against fraud and corruption at local government and also improve health in urban and rural communities,” Gumede said.
Nzuza has considerable experience in auditing and governance and has worked for a number of big organisations, including accounting firms, Transnet and the KZN Gaming Board, leading mostly in auditing and governance aspects.
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