OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY EXECUTIVE MAYOR


DEPUTY EXECUTIVE MAYOR:
Councillor Nancy Nomadewuka Sihlwayi

Tel: +27 (0) 41 505 4418
Fax: +27 (0) 41 505 4479

SECRETARY:
Lynette Lunn
Email: llunn@mandelametro.gov.za


The Office of the Deputy Executive Mayor is tasked with overseeing, inter alia, international relations, intergovernmental relations, policy development, transformation, performance management, media liaison, product development, public relations and events management, as well as research and information services.

The Director : Communication and Director : Policy and Transformation report to the Deputy Executive Mayor.

Get to know your Deputy Mayor

BIOGRAPHY:

Nancy Nomadewuka Sihlwayi is a 55 year old Black South African female, a professional administrator and community developer, a politician. Sis’Nancy, as she is affectionately known, is a strong believer in community development for a prosperous, bright and sustainable future. 

Political history

Born on 22 September 1954 in the former Transkei, Nancy’s political activism and community development role began at a tender age from as early as 1961, when she was expelled from school for fighting against the establishment of the Transkei homeland. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Nancy participated in underground structures as a student activist. In 1984, she was elected Treasurer of SASCO at the University of Transkei, and it was no surprise when she was expelled from the University for her involvement in student protests against Apartheid. She was incarcerated in the then Transkei Prison for 6 months.

In the same year (1984), sis’Nancy was elected Chairperson of the United Workers’ Union (UWU) against PSA (National Party) union of workers, before she was forced to flee her house in order to escape the Apartheid security police. She moved to Port Elizabeth and immediately became involved with the local ANC (then banned) structures.

When the ANC was banned in 1990, sis’Nancy was elected ANCWL Branch Chairperson – Walmer Branch PE. In 1993, she was co-opted onto the Regional Executive Committee of the ANCWL. She served the ANC tirelessly in the first democratic elections campaign, being responsible for 8 wards in the Northern Areas.

In 1994, she was ANC’s nominee to the 1^st Provincial Housing Board (Bhisho), and in 1994 she was elected as a Councillor in the then PE TLC. She has been a Councillor of democratic governance since then.

Also in 1994, sis’Nancy was elected to the Regional Executive Committee (REC) of the ANC, a position she stills holds today. 1997 saw her assume the reins of the Women’s League, being elected ANCWL Provincial Chairperson for the Eastern Cape.

Sis’Nancy currently serves as the Provincial Deputy Secretary of the ANCWL, the Deputy Secretary of the ANC Nelson Mandela Region, and as a member of the Provincial Working Committee of the ANC.

Academic qualifications, education & training

Nancy Sihlwayi holds an Honours Degree in Public Administration, and is currently studying for a Masters degree in Public Administration at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.

Sis’Nancy’s academic studies commenced in 1984 at the University of Transkei, but she was expelled due to her anti-Apartheid involvement. As part of her Masters Degree, she has thus far completed Advanced Project Management, Conflict Resolution, and Integrated Development Planning. She is currently reading Development Studies (Global Perspectives), and is completing a treatise on ‘The role of women in development, a case study on the Wells Estate area.’

Among her other qualifications, education and training, are:

• Training of Trainers in Social Housing Policy administration arranged between the National Department of Housing and Netherlands Government
• Organisational and Financial principles of development - DSE, Germany
• Housing Construction standards – global competitiveness – Hong Kong
• Public and Private Partnership in Development – Nicaragua and Costa Rica
• Economic Development and Comprehensive Urban Plan Initiatives – Gothenburg, Sweden
• Certificate in Project Management - Port Elizabeth Technikon
• Based training for Democracy – Idasa Johannesburg
• International Training in Development Programme - Volkswagen Germany
• Foreign Affairs Protocol Training Officer – Pretoria
• Political Education Certificate on Gender Transformation and Development –Johannesburg

Employment history summary

Nancy Sihlwayi describes her employment history thus:

“I am a democratically-elected Councillor of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, an amalgamation of Uitenhage, Despatch and Port Elizabeth. Before the inception of new democratic governance structures, my involvement was more focused on civil service administration in the area previously known as the Transkei.

My career-path was based on administrative aspects having been promoted from being an ordinary clerk to assistant pharmacy / senior principal clerk in three government departments: Health, Foreign Affairs and Education. All of these positions I have used as a front-line political pursuance towards employee liberation.”

Nancy Sihlwayi’s role in democratic local governance is indicative of her leadership qualities. To name just some of the structures of which she has served as Chairpersonship:

• Housing & Land Portfolio Committee
• Employment Equity Plan
• Infrastructure & Electricity Portfolio Committee
• Sport, Recreation, Arts & Culture Portfolio Committee
• Events Sub-Committee
• Committee on Spatial Development Framework
• Social Development Cluster (Provincial)
• Low Income Programme
• Mayoral Committee member

Sis’Nancy continues:

“The most progressive phase of my development was in the Department of Foreign Affairs, where, as a senior protocol officer, I was exposed to national and international relations, comparative development aspects and international policy formulation.

“As a member of the Eastern Cape Province Provincial Housing Board, I influenced and championed the implementation revision and improvement of the new Housing Policy and was active in achieving its implementation and appointment, monitoring and evaluation of sub committee of the Board. 

“I was appointed as Chairperson of Housing & Land Committee within the Port Elizabeth TLC and later the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, and was exposed to various global comparative developments related to urban development such as the present progressive partnership between our Municipality and that of Gothenberg, Sweden, focussing on mutual benefits to be derived from urban integration and consolidation of resources.

“From 1998 to date I have been a participant in the South African democratic initiative which manages, implements and monitors strategic projects.”

Among the key experiences and highlights of sis’Nancy’s involvement in local governance, has been:

• The interpretation of constitutional principles within the new political environment
• Applying the principles of the RDP
• The championing of affirmative action, employment equity and gender transformation in both official and social structures
• Due to the work in her portfolio, the NMBM received a World Leadership Award in London in 2005
• The formulation of the Comprehensive Urban Plan (SDF)

Sis’Nancy says:

“My involvement in Housing from 1996 to 2006 as the core integrative plan for service delivery resulted in my election as Secretary and Deputy Chairperson for six years of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) that represents and promotes the social and economic development role of all municipalities.”

In 1997 the NMMM allocated a budget of R108 m to Housing. Between 2004 and 2006, the budget was R308 m. Housing development progress by the Municipality became a niche product and best-practice case study nationally due to creative and innovative approaches in improving the standards of housing within the limited funds of government. The department utilised a variety of funding sources in terms of norms and standards of the state. Suffice to say, under Cllr Sihlwayi’s leadership, housing became the catalyst for community development and the capital infrastructure investment framework. 

But sis’Nancy is humble about her achievements in this respect:

“My involvement in developmental aspects has provided me with a wide perspective and granted me great opportunities for personal development; but more importantly, it has given me the enviable opportunity to work towards our country’s objective of changing societal environments around community sustainability.”

Board Memberships – 1995-2007

• Rural Housing Loan Fund - Minister L. Sisulu
• Provincial Housing Board - Mec Mamase
• University of Port Elizabeth Council l - Minister Bengu
• Interim National Arts and Culture Task Team - Deputy-Minister N. Botha
• Partnership Management Committee- Swedish International Development Agency / NMBM
• Nelson Mandela Bay Development Agency
• Eastern Cape Training Centre (ETC)
• A member of the South African Institute of Director Development (IOD) Johannesurg.
• Procurement Committee member: Coega Development Corporation 

NGO involvement:

• Masakhisizwe womens empowerment trust - Daku road
• Masicoce bafazi - Kwazakhele
• Masifundisane gardening project -Warlmer

The objective for all these organisations is to ensure that women should enter the mainstream of economic development and growth.

Family:

“I have been blessed with three daughters, the first-born is a Mechanical Engineer, and is employed at VWSA, the second one is a Quantity Surveyor and is stationed at De Beers in Messina, the last is a third-year student at the University of Joburg.