Secretary General of uMkhonto weSizwe Party Dr Bongani Mncwango and MK Party President Jacob Zuma welcome former eThekwini Deputy City Manager for Economic Development and Planning Unit Phillip Sithole (in a cap) to the party yesterday. Sithole had been a long serving member of the ANC.
Image: Meta
Still buoyed by the recent recruitment of former Nongoma mayor Mshangane Ndabandaba, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has secured another high-profile addition.
Yesterday, the party confirmed that Phillip Sithole, the former Deputy City Manager for the Economic Development and Planning Unit in the eThekwini Municipality and a former head of Durban Tourism, had joined its ranks.
Sithole, who hails from Inanda, announced the development on social media, posting a photograph of himself with MK Party president Jacob Zuma and Secretary-General Bongani Mncwango.
He accompanied the image with the caption: "Joined MKP: with President Zuma & Secretary General Mncwango. TIME IS NOW. 'Gwaza Mkhonto Gwaza'" (loosely translated as “stab spear, stab”).
Sithole, a long standing member of the ANC, is widely regarded as a close ally of radical economic transformation (RET) activist and former eThekwini Municipality mayor Zandile Gumede, who also hails from Inanda.
He left the municipality at the end of 2022 after his five-year contract came to an end, concluding more than 22 years of service in the city administration.
The former eThekwini Deputy City Manager for Economic Development and Planning Unit, Phillip Sithole, who announced his membership of uMkhonto weSizwe Party yesterday after many years as an ANC member.
Image: Independent Newspapers Archives
When followers asked him on social media what role he would pursue should the MK Party win control of eThekwini in the upcoming November local government elections, Sithole dismissed suggestions that he was eyeing a senior position, particularly that of city manager.
"(I am) just a member," he quipped.
Upon leaving the municipality, Sithole reflected on his tenure, highlighting the achievements of his unit, which he said had attracted billions of rand in investment into the city.
He also acknowledged the mentorship he received from former city manager Mike Sutcliffe and former municipal executive Lindiwe Mahlangu.
During his time leading the Economic Development and Planning Unit, Sithole spearheaded or contributed to several major projects, including the development of catalytic initiatives that attracted more than R50 billion in private sector investment. Among the most recent were the Oceans uMhlanga development and Legacy Yard.
He also played a role in facilitating public and private sector investments worth more than R5 billion in township areas such as uMlazi, Ntuzuma, Inanda and Hammarsdale. Recent projects included the Westown development in Ntshongweni, launched last year, and Midway Crossing Mall in Newlands West.
Sithole also oversaw the expansion of the city’s flagship events, including the Durban Business Fair and the Durban Fashion Fair.
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