Durban - Ugu District Municipality manager Dr Elliot Michael Ntombela died on Saturday morning due to illness.
The Mercury reported that Ntombela was appointed as municipal manager on October 1, 2022 after a lengthy and intensive process to find a suitably qualified candidate to take the helm.
Municipal spokesperson France Zama said Ntombela died on January 14 in hospital where he had been hospitalised for more than three weeks.
“His untimely passing has been a great shock to the municipality and the entire municipal council as Dr Ntombela was expected to be discharged from hospital and resume his official duties in the new year,” he said.
Zama said Ntombela joined the municipality in an acting capacity during July 2021 and was later appointed on a five-year contract as a municipal manager in October 2022.
Ugu District Municipality mayor Phumlile Mthiyane conveyed her heartfelt condolences to the family on behalf of the council.
“Dr Ntombela played a pivotal role in the municipality’s administration, and we had high hopes that he would use his expertise, together with his management skills to steer Ugu to greater heights,” said the mayor.
KZN Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) MEC Sihle Zikalala, said the death of Ntombela left a gaping hole in the sphere of local government within the province.
“As a dedicated servant, Ntombela went beyond the call of duty when fulfilling the tasks that were bestowed upon him as a result of his position.
“We wish to express our condolences to the Ntombela family and the families of the municipalities under the district, who worked closely with Mpangazitha in bringing services to communities,” he said.
Zikalala said as the province mourns his passing, Cogta was certain that the work he had started in the district would be a solid foundation for the ongoing work of stabilising the municipality.
“We also wish to thank the Ntombela family for the sacrifices they’ve had to make while he was serving the people of Ugu District,” said the MEC.