Magalies Water, a water utility based in Rustenburg, in the North West Province, has appointed Ofentse Nthutang as the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for a five-year term. The appointment is effective from September 1. This appointment follows closely on that of Sandile Mkhize as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The decision to appoint the executive officers came after the Minister of Water and Sanitation, Senzo Mchunu, lifted a moratorium on such appointments that had been in place for over a year.
Nthutang brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having previously served as the General Manager of Engineering Services. Before joining Magalies Water, he held positions at Vhembe District Municipality, the National Department of Public Works, and various consulting engineering firms. Nthutang is a registered Professional Engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa and holds a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering (Civil) from the University of the Witwatersrand in Joburg.
He also possesses an Investment Analysis and Risk Analysis certificate from Queen's University in Canada. He is pursuing a Master's in Business Administration with the University of Reading, Henley Business School. Nthutang expressed his eagerness to contribute to Magalies Water's mission and stated that being part of such an esteemed organisation is a privilege and an honour.
His immediate responsibilities includes assessing inherited infrastructure for efficiency improvements, restructuring the organisational structure for better service delivery, and developing a Water and Sanitation master plan for the region. Meanwhile, Mkhize, the CEO of Magalies Water, emphasised the importance of filling executive vacancies and stabilising the organization at the highest administrative levels.
This move aims to ensure sustained delivery of high-quality water services, an essential service as outlined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. The water utility said further announcements regarding additional executive positions will be made in due course.
