PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The changing of the guard of directors in Bitou municipality was concluded at the end of June, following the appointment of advocate Luvuyo Loliwe as acting director of corporate services, and Tanya Wildeman as acting director of planning.
Other appointments made since the ANC coalition took over in February, and reflecting the interests of various parties making up the coalition, are:
Dr Ralph Links, acting municipal manager (in place of Mbulelo Memani); and Manqoba Boy Ngubo, acting chief financial officer (in place of Felix Lötter, made senior manager governance and compliance).
In the latest issue of Bitou e-Newsletter, released by the municipality's communications department on Tuesday 9 July, the appointments of Loliwe and Wildeman were announced.
The appointments were made at a Special Council meeting on Friday 28 May after a vote.
"The appointments showed the commitment to allow locally developed professionals to grow within the institution," said the e-Newsletter.
Loliwe served the municipality as head of the legal services section in the corporate services department between 2016 and 2023, before he resigned and took up the role of corporate service director at the Knysna municipality in 2022.
"On the other hand, Mrs Wildeman, a local-born woman, served the Bitou municipality for over 20 years in various portfolios. Some of the portfolios that she filled with great efficiency over the years include being the senior local economic development officer, manager, and later senior manager human resource management, and manager administration.
"Mr Manqoba Ngubo, who was previously acting on the position of planning and development, took up his new role as Chief Financial Officer on 1 June," said the e-Newsletter.
Bitou mayor Claude Terblanche said in the latest appointments of Loliwe and Wildeman were "a huge achievement for us".
Quoted in the e-Newsletter he said: "Both these appointees were groomed by the Bitou municipality and worked themselves up in the institution.
"The cherry on top is the fact that by appointing Mrs Wildeman we have appointed a locally-born woman adding to Mrs (Melony) Paulsen, the director of community services, who also hails from the streets of Plettenberg Bay -New Horizon, in particular," said Terblanche.
He had earlier told the Knysna Plett Herald that the appointments were "not political".
The following political leadership in Bitou was establsihed after the new ANC-led coalition took over after ousting the DA-led coalition:
PDC – mayor Claude Terblanche; IPM- deputy mayor Nokuzola Kolwapi; ANC- Speaker, Sandison Gcabayi; Chief Whip, Samkele Mangxaba; chairperson of MPAC, Nokuthula Teenage Seti.
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