March 17, 2006
By JoNews Reporter
JOBURG'S city manager, Pascal Moloi, is preparing to leave the City to take up opportunities beckoning in the private sector when his contract expires in April.
In a statement released on Tuesday, 7 March, the City said Moloi's foray into the private sector "does not preclude his involvement in areas of work including local government".
The post of Johannesburg city manager has already been advertised and an appointment is expected to be made by the end of March.
Moloi's involvement in civic politics dates back to the early 1990s, when he played a pioneering role in the establishment of the former Northern Metropolitan Local Council, becoming the first chief executive officer of the structure.
During his five-year term as city manager, Moloi oversaw the establishment of Johannesburg as a unicity, amalgamating five previous Metropolitan Local Councils. The restructuring process entailed trimming the City's bloated bureaucracy, setting up 12 city-owned companies to provide services, migrating staff and recruiting qualified professionals.
Despite initial opposition from trade unions, the process paid off and, by 2003, the City had made a financial recovery, getting accolades from financiers and ratings agencies. This financial turnaround enabled Johannesburg to raise capital at cheaper rates, and it became the first local government to issue municipal bonds.
Under Moloi's stewardship, collection levels increased from a base of 87 percent to the current levels of about 95 percent. "His team [lead Johannesburg to become] the first City to apply the Performance Management System under the Municipal Systems Act," read the council statement.
This ensures the city manager and those who report to him meet key performance indicators.
Sibongile Mazibuko, the City's chief operating officer, says Moloi has set up a solid foundation from which a new manager can work. "He leaves behind a well-oiled machine, with a solid team, systems and procedures to take the City forward. Our budget process is now geared to accelerate service delivery."
Moloi's administrative acumen was recognised by the Department of Local and Provincial Government, which seconded him to assist the Rustenburg municipality under Project Consolidate.
Mazibuko says Moloi was passionate about affirming women in the workplace. "He succeeded in placing women in strategic positions within the City. Today, women comprise more than 60 percent of top senior management in the City."
His five-year tenure at the helm of City administration was characterised by innovation, but he has also faced criticism from some opposition politicians who blamed him for Johannesburg's perceived failings.
The Democratic Alliance has accused his administration of failing to prevent power outages, arbitrarily writing off City assets, causing billing chaos and getting a disclaimer from the Auditor-General.
The new city manager will thus have his or her work cut out. One notable challenge facing the incumbent will be to oversee the end of City Power and its replacement by a Regional Electricity Distributor.
However, Moloi leaves basic structures, systems, policies and by-laws in place, and the new manager will have a good base from which to keep the City on its current growth trajectory.
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