The Makhado Municipality has finally appointed a new municipal manager, and the question now is whether the municipality will experience a positive turn-around, especially with regard to getting a clean financial audit.

Mr Isaac (Sakkie) Muthsinyali was introduced to the media as the new municipal manager on 6 September. He was quick to point out that he had found the Greater Letaba Municipality bankrupt and without any financial systems running when he became their municipal manager in 2001, and after four years they had a clean audit.

“They previously had received disclaimers and adverse opinions from the auditor general. When I left, they had an unqualified report. If given the support, we can turn around and re-engineer this municipality, maybe even in a shorter period of time,” Mutshinyali said.

“He is the right man for this municipality,” said former acting municipal manager Mr Elias Mugari.

With an impressive string of academic qualifications at several national and international institutions, as well as more than 18 years of experience in local and provincial government, Muthsinyali indeed seems to be in a position to bring hope to a local municipality fraught with inaccurate financial affairs, critical shortages of water, uncompleted projects and poor management and maintenance of infrastructure.

Mutshinyali came across as a decisive leader with a sense of urgency. Even before his appointment on 1 September, he had inspected the area to identify ‘hot-spots’. Coming from the Schoemansdal area and with family in Muraleni, he is well acquainted with the area.

“I had been on the council of this municipality with oom Brink Schlesinger and Louis Holtzhausen,” said Muthsinyali, adding that he was happy to be back home.“We are public servants, and I have no other agenda than to be your servant,” said Mutshinyali. He emphasised that he went incognito to the municipality and observed long queues and saw inefficiency.

”What I want is an efficient institution,” he said. With his no-nonsense approach, he had already taken action by talking to his frontline staff to look at ways to better serve the public. He emphasised that it takes time to change people’s mindsets to see a better way of doing things.