Port Elizabeth – Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor Athol Trollip announced changes to his mayoral committee on Monday.
The move was in order to fill the vacant posts of Public Health and Corporate Services, after MMC for Corporate Services, DA councillor Dean Biddulph, resigned from the mayoral committee last month to join the Ireland-based CHBC Office Group as chief operating officer.
Trollip has been running the mayoral committee position for public health himself, after he dismissed UDM councillor Mongameli Bobani from the position in May.
Read: Nelson Mandela Bay deputy mayor sacked as health MMC
Former coalition partner, Patriotic Alliance councillor Marlon Daniels, also held the position briefly, before the PA pulled out of the coalition after he failed to get the nod from Trollip for the position of deputy mayor.
Trollip announced that seasoned political veteran Annette Lovemore would be leaving Infrastructure, Engineering, Electricity & Energy to replace Biddulph, while ACDP councillor Lance Grootboom would move from his role as chair of the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC) to take up the portfolio of Public Health.
Trollip then introduced DA councillor Masixole Zinto, who would be taking over from Lovemore as MMC for Infrastructure, Engineering, Electricity & Energy. Zinto is a qualified electrician and served on the infrastructure portfolio prior to his new appointment.
Trollip said council speaker Jonathan Lawack would manage MPAC until a new appointment was made.
"After just over a year in government, it is important to review progress made to date, and as such, some changes to the Mayoral Committee are necessary in the interest of channelling skills and expertise," he said.
The changes to the mayoral committee were effective immediately, with Trollip saying that there would be an official handover process between the relevant parties.
Trollip said he was sad to see Biddulph leave, and commended him for the work done in Corporate Services.
The new Mayoral Committee is as follows:
- (ACDP) Cllr Lance Grootboom - Public Health
- (Cope) Cllr Siyasanga Sijadu - Sports, Recreation, Arts & Culture
- (DA) Cllr Nqaba Bhanga - Human Settlements
- (DA) Cllr Andrew Whitfield - Economic Development, Tourism & Agriculture
- (DA) Cllr Masixole Zinto - Infrastructure, Engineering, Electricity & Energy
- (DA) Cllr Retief Odendaal - Budget & Treasury
- (DA) Cllr Annette Lovemore - Corporate Services
- (DA) Cllr Shirley Sauls - Constituency Services
- (DA) Cllr Rano Kayser - Roads, Transport & Stormwater
- (DA) Cllr John Best - Safety & Security
