EMLM Seeks MEC Approval to Keep Acting Municipal Manager

Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality will ask the Eastern Cape MEC for Cooperative Governance to approve a three-month extension for its acting Municipal Manager, after Council admitted the recruitment process for permanent top managers won’t be finished before the current term expires.

The issue was tabled at a Special Council Meeting on 29 May 2026 under Item 04/2026: Progress Report on the Recruitment and Selection of the Municipal Manager and Section 56 Senior Managers.

The posts of Municipal Manager and several Section 56 Senior Managers have been vacant for months.

Council launched a substantive recruitment process and, on 6 March 2026, appointed the Chief Operations Officer Aphiwe Mkhangelwa as Acting Municipal Manager for a maximum three-month period in line with Regulation 13 of the 2014 Senior Managers Regulations.

That acting term expires at the end of May 2026. But the process is still underway:

Posts were advertised in the Sunday Times on 26 April 2026. Applications closed 18 May 2026.

Master lists were compiled and selection panels appointed by Council. Shortlisting started 27 May 2026.

Panel interviews are scheduled for completion before mid-June 2026.

After interviews, candidates face competency assessments, security vetting and reference checks. Recommendations are expected to go to Council around 19 June 2026.

Under Section 60 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, the Municipal Manager serves as Accounting Officer with statutory duties over finances, administration and service delivery.

“Continuous occupation of the office is imperative to sustain decision-making and institutional stability pending a substantive appointment,” the report stated. Without an extension, the municipality would face a temporary vacancy just as budget implementation and mid-year reporting kick in.

Council therefore resolved to extend Mkhangelwa’s acting appointment for a further three months from the expiry date.

Regulation 13 allows a maximum six-month acting period, but any extension beyond the first three months requires written concurrence from the MEC for CoGTA.

If approved, a formal submission will be sent on municipal letterhead and signed by the Executive Mayor, outlining the operational need and confirming the extension does not exceed three months.

Council also resolved to note the progress report and requested Corporate Services to submit a follow-up report once interviews and vetting are complete.