The eThekwini Municipality has approved the appointments of Dr. Sandile Mnguni as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Malusi Mkhlongo to the position of Chief Executive Officer. These decisions were made following an emergency council meeting to comply with deadlines set by local regulations for appointing senior executives.
The municipality was required to finalize these appointments by July 18, 2026, to avoid negative consequences. Dr. Mnguni was appointed permanently after a competitive national selection process. He will serve on a five-year contract, replacing the CFO position that became vacant after Chris Kumar retired in 2021.
The municipality stated that Mnguni possesses over 22 years of senior leadership experience in local government, public sector finance, and auditing. His career includes serving as CFO at eThekwini Municipality, Group CFO at Ithala Development Finance Corporation, and Head of Expenditure and Deputy Head of Corporate Accounts at eThekwini Municipality. Furthermore, he held leadership roles within the Auditor-General's office. Mnguni holds a PhD in Administration, an MBA, a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Accounting, and is a certified accountant.
As CFO, Mnguni will provide strategic leadership and overall direction for the municipality's financial department. Seventy-two people applied for this position, with five making the shortlist. Candidates included former employees from various companies, such as Ithala Development Finance Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers, South African Post Office, City of Ekurhuleni, and Auditor-General South Africa (AGSA).
Regarding Malusi Mkhlongo, the municipality noted that he has over 20 years of senior leadership experience in local government and the public sector. His previous roles included Director of Legal Services and Deputy Head of Litigation at eThekwini Municipality, as well as Director of Legal Services at the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements (now the Department of Human Settlements). Mkhlongo will lead the work of the Municipal Manager's Office, providing support to senior management, overseeing international and intergovernmental relations, legal services, the eThekwini Municipality Academy, city integrity and investigations matters, as well as strategic development, monitoring, evaluation, and consultancy services.
However, the hiring process for the Chief Executive Officer of Corporate Services was deemed unsuccessful because two candidates who scored over 80% failed the psychometric assessment. A total of 206 applications were received. The councils approved the commencement of a new recruitment process for this position.
eThekwini Mayor, Cyril Shabha, stated that both Mnguni and Mkhlongo possess extensive experience working within the municipality and can start quickly. Shabha emphasized that Mnguni has done outstanding work stabilizing the municipality's finances. He noted: 'Thanks to his leadership, the municipality has achieved unqualified audit opinions for the last five years. He has also played a crucial role in ensuring the municipality adopts fully funded and credible budgets.'
Commenting on Mkhlongo's appointment, Shabha added that his deep experience in law and governance will strengthen accountability and institutional management within the municipality.
In Tashkent, Uzbekistan, new senior appointments were approved in the Agency for Strategic Development and Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. These appointments were endorsed by decrees signed by the Head of the Presidential Administration.
According to the decrees, Abdulla Abdukodirov has been appointed as the First Deputy Director of the Agency for Strategic Development and Reforms under the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Furthermore, in a separate decree, Tairjon Safarov was appointed as Deputy Director of the Agency for Strategic Development and Reforms. After receiving the new position, Safarov was relieved of his former role as head of the sector in the Department of Legal Expertise and Comprehensive Analysis of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
