Former director of finance (66) dies
After more than 40 years as a Kemptonian, former director of finance of the then Kempton Park Tembisa Municipality dies at the age of 66.
Ben Dorfling (66), a former director of finance in Kempton Park Tembisa Municipality in the early 2000s, died on October 9 after a long illness.
Born on September 27, 1953, in Limpopo Province, Dorfling was a resident of Kempton Park for more than 40 years.
“After obtaining his B.Com degree through Unisa by studying after hours, he got several promotions and became director of finance in 2000,” his wife, Susan Dorfling, said.
During this time he also served on the governing bodies of Allen Park Old Age Home and Laerskool Impala as chairperson of finance.
Dorling served as president of the Institute of Municipal Finance Officers (IMFO), now known as the Chartered Institute of Government Finance Audit and Risk Officers (CIGFARO), from 2002 until 2004.
“After early retirement from Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, he worked as a financial consultant for several organisations and as part of a task team of the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), assisting them to do turnaround strategies in several municipalities,” his wife said.
He was later employed as chief financial officer (CFO) at Madibeng Municipality and thereafter at Emalahleni Municipality.
After resigning as CFO in 2014, he continued to work as a financial consultant to several companies until he fell ill in April.
In his early career, Dorfling worked at TW Beckett (now known as National Brands) as a financial clerk before being employed as a clerk grade 1 in the treasury department of the then Kempton Park Municipality in 1981.
In 1982, he married Susan and together they had a son, Ben, and daughter, Marthinette.
“He will be remembered for his assistance to establish beautiful gardens at both Stralejakkers and Laerskool Impala and as a passionate cultivator of the most beautiful clivias. Ben may be gone but he will never be forgotten,” Susan said.
He will be remembered by Susan, Ben, Marthinette, son-in law Rohan, daughter-in-law Calee and grandsons Morné, Rohben and Sias, as well as his colleagues and friends.
