A sombre‚ emotional prayer and church service was held by friends and family of slain Richmond municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole at his home in Townbush Valley‚ Pietermaritbzurg‚ on Tuesday afternoon.

Among those who came to comfort the family were him namesake‚ former eThekwini municipal manager Sibusiso Sithole‚ and his Umdoni counterpart Xolani Luthuli.

The family asked print and television reporters to leave saying the stories written about the deceased had been “grossly inaccurate and prejudicial“.

Back in Richmond‚ one of Sithole’s colleagues‚ Skhombiso Mthembu‚ strategic executive manager for corporate services‚ spoke fondly of a “young man who was brave and skilled enough” to take the helm as a municipal manager. This despite being just 32 when he took the post in 2010.

“He actually took over from me as I had been acting since 2008. Even at that age he had amassed massive experience and skill in the Public Finance Management Act‚” Mthembu said.

Before coming to Richmond‚ Sithole had worked in various executive roles‚ including as chief financial officer at the department of land affairs‚ and‚ prior to that‚ held the same position at the Mooi-Mpofana municipality.

“He came almost with every skill we needed in Richmond. Be it finance‚ auditing or management‚ he had it all. An icing on the cake was that he was a local boy‚ born and bred here‚ and even did all his schooling in Richmond. What a loss.”

Mthembu said Sithole had stressed the importance of education and that his staff at the municipality was being subjected to the highest level of training opportunities.

Richmond legend‚ former mayor and speaker Andrew Ragavaloo said on Tuesday that Sithole was the future of local government and a “rare find“.

“He was special. I still cannot believe how he turned Richmond around. He was the embodiment of excellence and what local government needed. We are very sad.”

Ragavaloo said Sithole did not only support his widowed mother‚ but assisted everyone in need in his community.

A teary Njabulo Ncube‚ an employee in Sithole’s office‚ said he had learnt a lot from a man who “hated mediocrity“.

“He believed in pushing the boundaries. He believed in empowering and up-skilling people. He would not give you the fish but would teach you how to fish. I was in awe at the respect he commanded from political principals to his staff members especially those much older than him‚” Ncube said.

Recounting Sithole’s final hours‚ Mthembu said Sithole had called a management meeting to convene at 9am on Monday.

“While we were still trickling in‚ a call came and he went outside but never came back‚” he said.

Sithole apparently wandered off outside the municipal premises without his bodyguards‚ which he had been allocated late last year‚ and was gunned down.

“This was his handover week and he was due to start in uMngeni in his new role‚” he said.

Mandlenkosi Mkhasibe‚ a neighbour in Richmond who grew up with Sithole‚ said he was a man ahead of his time.

“He boasted firsts in almost everything. I think he was the first in his family to get a degree and first in his 20s among his peers to work at senior and executive level‚” said Mkhasibe.

Under Sithole’s tutelage Richmond received two clean audits‚ service delivery peaked and service providers were paid on time.

In 2012 Richmond was named Best Performing small/medium municipality in KZN.

In 2014 he also won an award for Best community project for Richmond Municipality and 2015/2016 AG status award for clean audit.

— TMG Digital