NOZIPHO GAMEDZE NEW MANZINI MAYOR

MANZINI – Nozipho Gamedze is the new Mayor of the hub of the country - Manzini.

Gamedze, who represents Ward 11 (Extension 7 (Wilmer Park), Manzini, light industrial area and Mkhosi Township, was the only nominee for the position of mayor. She was elected mayor after accepting the nomination from the councillors yesterday afternoon. In order to ascertain if there would be any other nominee for the position, the Chairperson of the meeting, who is also the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Municipal Council of Manzini, Lungile Dlamini, informed the councillors that they would wait two minutes as per their constitution.

Position

Subsequent to the two minutes, Gamedze ascended to her new position. It was the same case with her deputy, who is Ward Six (Woodmasters, the area below the Central Distributor road and around Leites Motors) Councillor, Wesley Dlamini. He was also the only nominee for the position of deputy and the same applied as there was a two-minute wait to establish if any other nominee would come to the fore. However, during the two-minute wait, the Councillor for Ward 7 (Sterkstroom, Mangwaneni and the area around Manzini Central High School) Khanyisile Mamba raised her hand, seeking to address the meeting in the Municipal Council of Manzini Chamber.

As the other councillors suspected that she had an objection to the nomination, Mamba requested that the airconditioner be switched off as it was affecting her. This drew laughter from the other councillors and the people in the gallery, who were mostly from the various media houses. Leading to this, Mamba had prayed for unity among them even if she lost the election of being mayor of the city. This had also drawn murmurs and laughter as some of the councillors claimed that the prayer was personal.

  On the other hand, Wesley, after the lapse of the two minutes, also assumed the position of deputy mayor and set next to Gamedze at the head of the table, wherein the mayor had been seated aside the CEO. Subsequently, the councillors voted for the chairperson of the finance commitee and his deputy. Just like the position of the mayor and deputy mayor, these two positions of the committee had one nominee apiece. Ward 4 Councillor (Ngwane Park Township, Ngwane Park Extension, Sihlahleni, Ndumbu, Ticancweni) Xolani Masuku was elected the chairperson of the committee while Ward 9 (Moneni, Masekweni, Inyoni Park) Mzwandile Nkambule was elected his deputy.

On the other hand, the mayor, in his speech, appreciated the trust the councillors had in her to lead them. She emphasised the need for unity and working as a collective given that the tasks at hand needed the expertise of the management of the Municipal Council of Manzini, the councillors and the residents of the city.

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