The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA), Dr Zweli Mkhize has welcomed the approval by Cabinet of the appointment of Mr Goodman Ntandazo Vimba as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA).
MISA is an agency under the Ministry Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) mandated to provide technical support and build capacity in local government for municipal infrastructure and basic service delivery. Its role is critical in our efforts to turn around distressed municipalities as communicated in COGTA budget vote speech.
Mr Vimba brings vast experience to this position as he has been acting in the same position since October 2016. Prior to assuming the role of Acting CEO, he was the Head of Technical Support within MISA. He joined MISA at its inception in 2012 as the Chief Director for Legal and Contract Management Services. In that position he successfully established a legal services unit in the then newly established agency. Prior to joining MISA, Mr Vimba was the Provincial Head of Technical Support Unit (TSU) in the Eastern Cape under the national Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
Mr Vimba is an admitted Attorney with a Masters of Law in Mercantile Law qualification from the University of Pretoria. He also completed an Executive Leadership Development Programme through the University of the North West and a Postgraduate Diploma in Drafting and Interpretation of Contracts at the University of Johannesburg, among other post-graduate qualifications. He obtained a BPROC degree at the University of Transkei in 2000.
In his role as CEO, Mr Vimba will be responsible amongst other things, the deployment of technical experts from the Municipal Infrastructure Support Agent (MISA), in the form of District Technical Support Teams in 55 of the 87 priority distressed municipalities to provide support. This will be constituted by Engineers, Construction and project managers, town and regional planners as well as governance and administration experts. He is expected to ensure that these teams are dispatched immediately and that permanent capacity is built in these ailing municipalities.
This will bring an end to the problem of municipalities failing to spend on their Municipal Infrastructure Grants. As part of youth skills development, these Municipalities will also be supported by 150 Young Graduates produced by the Municipal Infrastructure Agent.
The Minister has extended a warm welcome to Mr Vimba. “We thank Mr Vimba for his leadership and dedication during his tenure as Acting CEO and confident that he will continue to acquit himself with diligence in his new position for the improvement of our people’s lives,’’ said the Minister.
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