Ugu mayor and municipal manager die two days apart

The mayor of the Ugu district municipality, Phumlile Mthiyane, died on Monday morning.

Her death came two days after the KwaZulu-Natal south coast municipality’s municipal manager Dr Elliot Ntombela died in hospital on Saturday.

Municipal spokesperson France Zama said Mthiyane died during the early hours of Monday morning.

“It is with deep shock and sorrow that we announce the untimely passing of the mayor of the municipality, Phumlile Mthiyane, who was called to her eternal rest during the early hours of the morning today,” he said.

“The dark cloud seems to have fallen upon our municipality during this period and [we] request your thoughts and prayers to be with the family at this time of loss. Details regarding the burial arrangements will be issued once they become available.”

On Saturday Zama said Ntombela’s death was a result of illness. He had been in hospital for more than three weeks.

“His untimely passing has been a great shock to the municipality and the entire municipal council as Dr Ntombela was expected to be discharged from hospital and resume his official duties in the new year,” he said.

Ntombela joined the municipality in an acting capacity in July 2002. He was later appointed on a five-year contract as a municipal manager in October last year.

“Dr Ntombela played a pivotal role in the municipality’s administration and we had high hopes he would use his expertise, together with his management, to steer Ugu to greater heights,” Zama said.

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