Richards Bay – An executive from Rand Water in Gauteng, Vusimuzi Kubheka, has been seconded to take over as interim CEO of the troubled board of Umhlathuze Water in Richards Bay.
Kubheka’s tenure began on May 1, and he takes over from Dr Simo Lushaba, who left at the end of April citing safety concerns after members of a business forum stormed their offices and held staff hostage for about five hours.
The business forum was aggrieved over a R36 million tender to guard water pumps across the City of Umhlathuze (Richards Bay-Empangeni) in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
JUST IN: Vusimuzi Kubheka has been seconded to take over as the next interim CEO of the troubled Umhlathuze water board in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal. He takes over from Dr Simo Lushaba who left citing safety concerns after a business forum recently stormed their offices. @IOL
— Sihle Mavuso (@ZANewsFlash) May 4, 2023
The forum wanted the water board to reverse its decision not to award it to Makadebona VIP Protection Services, a black-owned company based in Richards Bay.
The announcement that Kubheka is the new man at the helm was made to the staff of the water board in a staff memo dated May.3.
“The board of Mhlathuze Water welcomes the secondment of Mr Vusimuzi Kubheka from Rand Water to serve as the caretaker chief executive with effect from 1 May 2023.
“Mr Kubheka is a seasoned leader who boasts more than two decades in the water sector.
“Over the course of his illustrious career, Mr Kubheka has been actively involved in the setting up and monitoring of water entities across the country.
“He has previously held the position of chief director in the Department of Water and Sanitation and currently serves as the group executive responsible for strategy at Rand Water,” reads the memo to staff.
The chairperson of the water board, Thabi Shange, said Kubheka was a tried and tested executive in the fields of strategy, research and development as well as financial and economic planning.
Kubheka would fill the role of chief executive on a temporary basis until the finalisation of the reconfiguration of Umgeni Water and Umhlathuze Water to form a single water board in KwaZulu-Natal, Shange said.
Shange thanked Lushaba, who is also a former Rand Water executive, for holding the fort after the departure of the former CEO, Mthokozisi Dube.
Lushaba left at the end of April upon the expiry of his contract as an interim CEO.
The spokesperson of the water board, Siyabonga Maphumulo, confirmed that Kubheka had taken over from Lushaba.
"Mr Kubheka is a caretaker chief executive. He is on secondment from Rand Water to Mhlathuze Water.“
He said this arrangement would remain in place until the finalisation of the imminent reconfiguration involving Umgeni Water and Mhlathuze Water to form a single water board for KZN as announced by Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu.
"This is a process that is already at a very advanced stage and which we expect will be finalised in the next few months.
"For these reasons, Mr Kubheka will not be permanently based in the province but will alternate between Gauteng and KZN."
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