Social Services and Development Planning

Ms Ntombifuthi Nomvuselelo Fortunate Buthelezi has been appointed as the new Executive Director for Social Development and Planning in the Harry Gwala District Municipality commencing in the position as of November 2022.

Buthelezi possess a Masters in urban and regional planning, amongst many qualifications, from the University of Free State. Other notable qualifications that Buthelezi has obtained include:

• Baccalaureus of Spatial Planning Honours from University of Free State.
• Honours BA in Public Administration from the University of South Africa.
• Post Graduate Diploma in Geographic Information Systems from the University of Pretoria.
• National Diploma in Surveying from the then M.L. Sultan Technikon (now Durban University of Technology (DUT)

The new Director has vast experience in government having worked for KZN Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional; Affairs (KZN-COGTA) as the Director Project Implementation and Institutional Support under Municipal LED Support. She was also at the helm of Project Management for the Small Towns Rehabilitation Programme; Corridor Development Programme and Rural LED which was an initiative by Amakhosi. Buthelezi also worked for the uBuhlebezwe Local Municipality as the Director for Social Development.

She has vast experience in LED Institutional Support to District Development Agencies and Municipalities, Development Partnerships and Sector support Programmes; project management in Local Economic Development, Strategic LED Planning and implementation and stakeholder management and Public Participation revolving around Ward Committees, Operation Sukuma Sakhe, Aids Committees. Her tasks as the Director for Social Development in her previous employment also included the overall management of Waste Management, Parks and Verges, Cemeteries; Libraries and Community Service Centres, Community Safety Services such as Traffic Management, Fire and Disaster Services.

She oversaw Special Programmes as well including Youth, Sports Development, Children and Disability.

In 2012 Buthelezi worked at the Emakhazeni Local Municipality as the Deputy Manager LED and IDP also in the same year she worked for the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) as Programme Manager Municipal Finance, Economic Development and Municipal Planning . From February 1997 August 2009 Buthelezi worked in the Department of Land Affairs as a Student Technician to Deputy Director Technical Services in Gauteng, Western Cape and Mpumalanga Surveyor General’s Offices.

Click on the pdf below for the comprehensive Planning document of Harry Gwala District Municipality.