KNYSNA NEWS - There will once more be a new acting chief financial officer (ACFO) at Knysna Municipality in the person of Londiwe Sotshede, who takes over the reins after the previous ACFO, Beverley Gunqisa, lasted no more than two weeks in the position.
Sotshede was appointed in a special council meeting on Friday 12 August, along with a new acting director of corporate services (ADCS), Luvuyo Loliwe, who replaces Melony Paulsen in that position.
The appointments of Sotshede and Loliwe were part of what was, by council standards, a short special council meeting that was called by members of the ANC, PBI, EFF and PA only the previous day.
After the speaker and DA Councillor Julie Lopes declined from permitting the meeting, Acting Municipal Manager Johannes Jonkers permitted it to take place at 09:00 on Friday. Only three items were on the agenda brought forward by the ANC, PBI, EFF and PA councillors, and they included the appointment of a new ACFO and a new ADCS.
Despite calls from the DA/KIM coalition to postpone the filling of the two positions to allow for all parties to nominate suitable candidates, the ANC/PBI/EFF/PA faction overruled this by voting to carry out the appointments immediately.
After a lengthy caucus break, all parties returned with the name of someone that they believed to be a suitable candidate for each of the positions.
The voting process resulted in Sotshede and Loliwe being appointed.
ACFO Londiwe Sotshede
The last time Knysna Municipality had a permanently employed CFO was in October 2020, after which Mbulelo Memani resigned in the midst of a disciplinary process initiated surrounding the municipality's water meter tender process. Since then a number of individuals have temporarily filled the post.
According to municipal spokesperson Christopher Bezuidenhoudt, Sotshede commenced her duties as ACFO on Monday 15 August.
"She has been appointed for a period of three months or until the position of CFO is filled, whichever comes first. She previously held the position of manager of finance at Langeberg Municipality from October 2010 to February 2017 and most recently as CFO of the Ugu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal," he said.
ADCS Luvuyo Loliwe
The position of director of corporate services has been vacant since the departure of Phumla Makoma in October 2021, and the current ADCS, Melony Paulsen, is leaving Knysna Municipality at the end of August to take up the position of director of community services in Bitou Municipality.
"Mr Loliwe currently holds the position of senior manager of legal services at the Bitou Municipality," Bezuidenhoudt said.
"He will be seconded by inter-governmental arrangement to the Knysna Municipality for a period of three months or until the position of director of corporate services is filled, whichever comes first. He will commence service on Monday 22 August."
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