Media Release: New Executive Manager for Community Services at Garden Route District Municipality

5 November 2024

Today, Garden Route District Municipality (GRDM) Executive Mayor Andrew Stroebel and his Mayoral Committee Chairperson for Community Services, Cllr Jobieth Hoogbaard met the newly appointed Executive Manager for Community Services, Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu. Monde Stratu, the Municipal Manager for GRDM, was also present during the meet-and-greet session in Mayor Stroebel’s office.

A little bit of background – Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu

Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu brings extensive experience in community services, health, and safety to the GRDM.

She was born and raised in the Eastern Cape. She obtained her National Diploma in Environmental Health in 2007 in the Free State, followed by a BTech in Environmental Health in 2013. She attained her BTech in Project Management in 2020 and completed the Municipal Finance Management Program in 2016. Currently, she is furthering her studies with a Master’s in Environmental Studies and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management.

She began her career as an Environmental Health Practitioner for the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape in 2008. She later moved to Harrismith in the Free State, where she worked as a Meat Inspector for a year. From 2010 until the end of 2019, Raisa-Mlandu was employed by the Walter Sisulu Local Municipality in Burgersdorp, where she held several positions, including Waste Management Officer, Manager: Environmental Management and Compliance, and Acting Director of Community Services. Continuing her career journey across various provinces, she later worked as the Manager of Social Services at Ngwathe Local Municipality in Parys. Her last employer before joining the GRDM team was the Govan Mbeki Municipality in Secunda, Mpumalanga, where she served as Director of Community Services for nearly two years.

She officially joined the GRDM on 4 November 2024, where she will “steer the ship” alongside more than 100 professionals in her Department. Her team encompasses sections such as Disaster Management (managed by Gerhard Otto), Fire & Rescue Services (Managed by Deon Stoffels), and Municipal Health (Managed by Johan Compion), which includes sub-sections like Environmental Health, Waste Management (Managed by Johan Gie), and Air Quality (Managed by Dr Johann Schoeman).

On a personal note, she is the first-born in her family. She is married and a mother of three, with her eldest daughter currently completing her law degree. She is looking forward to them joining her soon in George.

Nthabeleng described herself as a dynamic, goal-driven person, motivated by a result-driven approach to work. “My actions are motivated by wanting to achieve. I have strong leadership skills and experience in strategic management, project management, etc. I possess working knowledge of development issues, along with excellent time and financial management skills and good interpersonal and communication abilities. My decision to join this municipality is motivated by a desire to make a positive change in the community, as communities rely on us for the provision of services. I look forward to adding value, contributing positively, and show my valuable contributions to this institution,” she concluded.

GRDM leadership expresses confidence that this appointment will strengthen efforts to enhance the quality of services provided to residents of the Garden Route district and would like to welcome Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu to #teamGardenRoute.

Feature Image: Cllr Jobieth Hoogbaard (MMC for Community Services), Andrew Stroebel (GRDM Executive Mayor), Nthabeleng Raisa-Mlandu (Executive Manager: Community Services) and Monde Stratu (Municipal Manager). 

ENDS