The Durban University of Technology (DUT) Business School under the ambit of the Faculty of Management Sciences held an orientation for the newly enrolled Abaqulusi Local Municipality councillors at the ML Sultan Campus, Durban on Monday, 04 March 2024.
The councillors will be joining the DUT Business School’s Executive Education short course for a Higher Certificate in Project Management which comprises of different modules including essentials of Operations Management, Financial Literacy, Introduction to Technology, Cornerstone 101, Fundamentals of Project Quality, Introduction to Organisational Effectiveness, Introduction to Project Tools and Techniques and Essentials of Project Management aimed at enhancing their skills, improve performance and advance service delivery projects.
The engagement was initiated by the municipality which approached the institution for an appropriate course that would help its councillors. Subsequently, 11 councillors who met the minimum requirements of a National Senior Certificate (NSC) and a Senior Certificate (SC) qualification with a score of a minimum of 20 points, and a minimum rating of 50% for English responded voluntarily to the call.
Abaqulusi Local Municipality Mayor, Mr Sifiso Mkhwanazi said the programme is very important for the municipality’s oversight growth as one of their competencies is to comprehend municipal finances and make informed decisions and that’s why when he occupied the Mayoral office in June 2023, he immediately requested the Municipal Manager to pursue this initiative.
“As a Mayor and a Chair of the Financial Portfolio, I understand that you cannot run the portfolio without knowing the pros and cons of the finance department, therefore programmes of this nature are beneficial. Education on its own develops the mind and when you engage in council or an executive or portfolio committee you engage robustly since you are well vested in a particular subject,” said Mkhwanazi.
Speaking on the KwaZulu-Natal Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) “Councillor Skills Audit 2021/2022” report which revealed that at least 300 councillors lack literacy skills, Mkhwanazi said this programme will contribute positively to alleviating such concerns and that they are projecting that soon, they will have a new calibre of councillors who had been part of this project.
DUT Business School Acting Head of Department, Dr Sean Jagmohan said they feel good that the municipality has chosen the DUT Business School for their training and hope that this will be the start of a relationship and an opportunity to train other staff and counsellors from the municipality.
“We hope we can provide training to councillors that will assist them in improving service delivery to the community they represent. This is also an opportunity for us to market our programmes to other municipalities as well,” he said.
Bongani Hlatshwayo, a ward councillor in Ward 20 in the Abaqulusi Municipality and one of the councillors who are part of the programme said he is very happy to be part of this initiative in his capacity as a ward councillor and for his personal growth. He believes that this will boost the outcome of many projects that they manage as councillors.
Pictured: The 11 councillors from Abaqulusi Local Municipality with the DUT Business School Acting Head of Department, Dr Sean Jagmohan during orientation.
Photographer: Mnqobi Ngobese.
Thulasizwe Nkomo
