Premier of KwaZulu-Natal Nomusa Dube-Ncube has received with shock the news of the passing of Ugu District Municipality Mayor Councillor Phumlile Mthiyane barely a week after the passing of the Municipal Manager.
Mthiyane passed away yesterday following a short illness. The Ugu Distric Mayor had yesterday visited the family of Ugu Municipal Manager Dr Michael Sibusiso Ntombela who had passed away a few days ago on the 14th of January.
“An unusual and very painful tragedy has happened in the Ugu District Municipality. Lighting has struck twice in the same place leaving us all in tears that will take time to dry, and our province is much poorer for it, we are devastated by the sudden passing of Her Worship, Mayor Mthiyane just days after the passing of the Municipal Manager Dr Ntombela,” said Premier Dube-Ncube.
Mthiyane was sworn as Mayor in 2021 and Dr Ntombela became Municipal Manager in October 2022.
"This is a double tragedy whose impact effectively decimates the top leadership of the Ugu District Municipality in a matter of days. We were expecting to be with the Mayor his week and God unfortunately had other plans for her. The passing of Her Worship, Mayor Mthiyane leaves a gaping wound in our province as she was one of our best rising leaders in local government. Her sudden passing is a great shock to us as more was expected from her," said Premier Dube-Ncube.
“Both the Mayor and the Municipal Manager had been central cogs in implementing the programmes to resolve the water challenges in the Ugu District Municipality and were leading figures in the water war room works daily to effect progress,” said Premier Dube-Ncube.
"On behalf of government and the people of KwaZulu-Natal, we express sincere our condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Councillor Mthiyane. We also take this opportunity to pay our deepest respects to the family of Dr Ntombela, the Municipal Manager. May their souls rest in eternal peace," said Premier Dube-Ncube.
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Issued by the Provincial Government of KwaZulu-Natal