Kouga appoints new Municipal Manager

PHOTO: Kouga Executive Mayor Booi Koerat congratulates Sidney Fadi on his appointment as Municipal Manager.

Kouga appoints new Municipal Manager

AN attorney with more than 15 years’ experience in local government administration has been appointed as the new Municipal Manager of the Kouga Municipality.

Kouga Executive Mayor Booi Koerat confirmed the appointment of Mr Sidney Fadi as Municipal Manager on February 29. Fadi, formerly the Legal Services Manager at the municipality, has been acting in the position since September 2011.

Koerat said the Council was very pleased that a suitable candidate for the position had been found within the municipality’s ranks.

“Mr Fadi has been with Kouga since its establishment in 2000. Prior to this, he was the Town Clerk of Hankey, one of the five municipalities that merged to form Kouga. His knowledge of the area, its people and potential is undeniable,” the Executive Mayor said.

 “He further understands the very core of the challenges we are facing and has proven to be a capable and decisive leader, who has the courage to take whatever action is necessary to re-establish Kouga as a top-performing municipality.”       

Born and bred in the former Ciskei, Fadi completed his legal degree at the University of Fort Hare and the former Vista University. He did his articles at a Port Elizabeth law firm and qualified as an attorney in 2002.

While he acknowledges that the road ahead will not be easy, he believes that a shift in attitude, both from officials and politicians, is what is needed most if Kouga is to triumph over its challenges - and he is determined to lead by example.

“That doesn’t mean denying the financial difficulties we’ve inherited,” he said. “We have to be realistic - this is a torrid time for Kouga and the situation is not going to change overnight. The new Council does, however, have a recovery plan in place and we are determined to have Kouga out of the woods by the start of the new financial year in July.”

Fadi views his two most important roles as charting a clear course for all municipal employees and uniting all roleplayers in their common goal to better the lives of Kouga’s people.

“It’s about setting rules, being firm and principled and doing things right – as a collective,” he said.

He further encouraged municipal staff not to allow themselves to be demoralised by  criticism but rather to view it as encouragement to do better.

“Residents have the right to demand that we spend their money wisely. It is up to each one of us, regardless of our position at the municipality, to ensure that that happens.

“Let us respect one another, our communities and the responsibilities we have been given. Each one of us working at Kouga has been given a unique opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Let us treasure that opportunity and make the most of it,” he said.