INLSA

Former city manager Michael Sutcliffe at a farewell function hosted by the Durban Chamber in his honour. Picture: Marilyn Bernard

Durban’s erstwhile city manager Michael Sutcliffe joked that he was “unemployed and looking for a job” at a farewell function held in his honour on Thursday night by the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Some of Durban’s leading business people were there to pay tribute to the city stalwart, whose contract came to an end in December after almost a decade. Casually dressed in slacks, short sleeved shirt and takkies, Sutcliffe said that he was privileged to have worked for the city.

“I am working out what to do now that I am out of a job. I only get UIF and that pays my levy. Once that runs out I will have to find something. But, I am not retired,” he said.

On a more serious note, Sutcliffe said he was looking at several options, including consulting for the government and other organisations.

“I must thank the business sector for their support. While we may have fought on many issues, we did agree on some of the major ones… We must remember that 10 years ago, as a city, we mainly served the white minority and have made the transition to also cater for the black majority. But we still have a long way to go,” he said.

“For me, what we have done is not just about the beachfront makeover, but rather about the infrastructure and how many robots we put in the townships that were not there before. Today there is a fire station in Lindelani,” he said. - The Mercury