Ms. Lungile Dlamini, MCM Chief Executive Officer

How did you get your first name?

My name is Lungile which means “it is well”. My Mom always taught us how life can be unpredictable and challenging, however faith and trust in God always helps us overcome all hardship. I have lived my entire life with an unwavering trust in God, tackling all challenges head-on, developing grit at a young age. Later in life I would hear rumours that my parents had been expecting a boy, and when I came along, they said, “kulungile”, a rumour they both denied.

Date and place of birth

I was born on September 10^th in Mbabane. I spent most of my early years in Mbabane, moving briefly to Mhlambanyatsi, and when I was about 8 years old, we returned to Mbabane, which remained my city of residence until I left for university in Lesotho.

Siblings

I am the first born and I have three siblings. I have a sister who comes right after me, and a very large gap between her and my two younger brothers. In fact, we were already in university when they were still toddlers. All three are resident in South Africa now, and I’m grateful to be able to see the younger siblings grow their careers and build their lives. I think our parents would be proud.

Marital Status and Number of Children

I am married and have two daughters, Owethu and Anele however I am a hands-on mother to so many of my children that God gifted me. This comes with being a first-born daughter and is something that brings me immense joy. My home is always bustling with nieces, nephews and of course my granddaughter Unathi, who just turned 9. I feel blessed to share my life with these young people.

Hobbies

I love to travel, both locally and internationally. This is something we have done as a family from a very young age. I still enjoy discovering new places and I still have a lot of destinations on my bucket list. These include the Northern Lights and Golden Circle in Iceland, the gorillas in Rwanda and many others. I enjoy being around people and a lot of my free time is spent catching up over a meal with family and friends. As a natural homemaker, I enjoy having family and friends over for self-curated events. I have always been one for good style and high fashion – one of the things I love, and I plan to start attending more fashion shows, locally and internationally.

Education background

My educational background is a testament of the value of allowing me to be patient with myself. Also, that continuous self-development is a must. I hold a Master of Science in City/Urban, Community and Regional Planning from Oxford Brooke’s University in the UK, along with an array of professional certificates from various professional bodies. Amongst them is the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) where I pursued a certified Global Executive Development Programme. I am currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration, Human Resources Management from EDINBURGIT BUSINESS SCHOOL/ Heriot- Watt University. And another at Master of Business Administration from Regent Business School in South Africa. I also hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, Urban Studies/Affairs from the National University of Lesotho.

Occupation and Employment background

I currently serve as the Municipal Council of Manzini Chief Executive Officer. I have also worked as the Chief Executive Officer for Ezulwini Municipality, as well as a City Planner for the Municipal Council of Mbabane. I’m grateful for the career journey that I’ve had. It is a journey that I am always grateful to look back and reflect on. One of my very first jobs, since my parents were not the ones to freely give out pocket money, was as a messenger for the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs and further served as an executive assistant at the Municipal Council of Manzini. I loved those jobs not only because of all the shopping I would do each time my salary arrived, but also because I started to understand the rigour of being at work on time, working with people from all walks of life and doing what is expected of you – accountability. By the time I became a City Planner, MSc in hand, there were many life lessons that I had learnt along the way.

Cherished memories in your career.

I cherish all of them. Each station in my career brought so much value, so many lessons, a network of colleagues that have been instrumental in my growth and the development of each institution I have been with. One memory that stands out is my journey to Manzini City Council. Armed with a bachelor’s degree and determined not to sit at home and not work, I was hired as a messenger because the space I was serving did not understand the urban and regional planning qualifications I had. Whilst I was serving as a messenger for the Ministry of Justice with the bachelor’s degree, the former Secretary to Cabinet, Mbuso Dlamini came across me at work, and evidently perplexed, asked if I still wanted to apply for a job in my area of specialization. My response was a resounding YES. From there, I applied for and started working as a physical planning officer for the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, facilitating town planning strategies for all the towns in Eswatini. This was the moment when my career shifted gears.

Transitioning from being a physical city planner to Municipal Chief Executive Officer in Ezulwini was a significant career shift. Understanding the leadership requirements for a CEO led me to continue my studies and focus on leadership development.  

So, when I started as the CEO in the Municipal Council of Manzini, leadership and stakeholder management skills and experience served me, and the city well. I walked into the role to find disgruntled stakeholders due to the relocations of public transporters and vendors to the Satellite Bus Rank. At the time, stakeholder engagement in Manzini was a non-existent practice which resulted in a lot of misunderstandings and conflicts between the citizens and the Municipality. It is humbling to reflect from that time and appreciate the harmonious relationship the Municipality has with the citizens today.

Serving as the President for Eswatini Local Authority Managers Association (ELAMA)

I lead with my both my head and my heart in tandem, which involves taking people along with me on a journey, as a collective, without pretending that I have all the answers. Where a decision is required, I will consult and ultimately decide, timeously. Being the President for ELAMA gives me the opportunity of constantly engaging all the local government professionals and together maintaining equilibrium between their personal and professional realities.

Vice- President for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) –

Today, I celebrate with my family, the cities across Eswatini, the people who have always been in support of the work we do, and the global community at large in my new appointment as the first African Vice-Chairperson for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and I am elated. ‘First African’ feels good. I am thankful that my work of over 25 years is being recognized globally. I look forward to empowering resilient cities and interacting with other professionals who are committed to ensuring that cities especially in the Southern-African hemisphere are immeasurably transformed. This achievement is a testament of my determination and being a result-driven leader who prioritizes service delivery to the people. The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) is all about capacitating and collaborating with local governments around the world to help strengthen communities to implement sound innovative management and leadership practices.

The establishment of the Manzini Autism Centre – this is also another highlight that brings so much fulfillment to me as a leader. It is an investment that is positioning the city as a city that cares about mental health and wellness for the future citizens of Manzini and the Kingdom at large. I also want to acknowledge the relationship that I have with the political leadership of the city – that is, Councillors.  I am grateful that up to this far the relationship has been nothing but stable. Overall, my greatest milestone is the ability to make a difference in the space I serve.

Future Aspirations

I have always had a dream to have an impact globally. Today, I am living that dream and the next couple of years will see me explore and navigate all that it means in terms of the legacy I’d like to leave. I feel proud that no young person with an Urban Planning degree will be offered a messenger position because of a lack of understanding this qualification. I hope to continue being a trailblazer for city planners and demonstrating what is possible in our chosen career.  I am determined to continue making a positive impact that inspires others to drive change in their respective spaces in particular the urban space and beyond. I would like to facilitate transformation of our local spaces to have a global feel and perspective. I believe that one never really retires if doing what you are passionate about.

Career Satisfaction

Satisfaction is always evolving. Contentment and gratitude speak to me more, and seeing the quality of life of every person under my sphere of influence and beyond improving gives me great contentment. Will I ever be satisfied? I think the nature of work and life is that one transitions to the next arc of life that may require a different set of skills. This is what makes life exciting. I want to see the overall life experience of citizens of the city improve, see both young and old thrive in aspects of their life – social, economic and otherwise.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

Childhood background and family relationship

I had a great childhood, full of play, cousins, travel, exploration. My family was a close-knit family, and we have been blessed to remain that way into our adulthood. I had friends who have become my chosen family. My parents ensured that we had fun experiences growing up from weekly soccer matches because my father was a part of the Mbabane Highlanders executive, annual birthday parties, family vacations and regular family Sundays where my Dad would be playing his vinyls while my Mom plaited our hair with black wool, ready for a new school week. Even washing the car was turned into a fun activity.

Who are your parents?

My parents are the late Enock and Beatrice Shongwe. They were awesome parents and I firmly believe that they were honestly ahead of their time. A fond memory I have of my father was the affirmations he made us recite to ourselves growing up. As a dark-skinned girl, he made me realize and own that dark was beautiful. Reciting the affirmations, “I am beautiful, I am smart, I am enough.” He ensured that I knew that dark skinned girls were a true epitome of beauty. My parents made it a point that we had church every Sunday which I still uphold to-date. We learned about soul music and ballroom dance. We counted Somhlolo Stadium and prince of Wales gate takings after each soccer match and learnt to prepare the associated journals from a very young age. I genuinely had a very privileged childhood which I still celebrate.

Juggling between Career and Family

It is extremely demanding, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. If I had to choose my life’s journey over again, I would choose both. I balance it by being present and understanding that family comes first, however I have made commitments professionally that I must honour and be accountable to each of those stakeholders.

I am intentional about taking care of myself, ensuring that I have good spiritual, emotional and physical balance. My journey and purpose involve ensuring sustainability and inspiring future generations. Therefore balance is important.

Who is your Role Model and Why?

My Mother

Married at a very young age, she rose to become Eswatini’s first woman Registrar General, launched Eswatini’s digital ID’s, Eswatini’s first female permanent representative to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, US educated. With all this, she managed to be a very present mother to my siblings and I, a lifetime member of the Methodist Women’s Manyano and still parented many cousins. When I think about her life today, it’s hard to imagine how she did it all. I also admire her courage to make the decision to leave her husband and children to study in the US in the early eighties. At the time, it was almost unheard of. My Mom loved God, loved her children and was intentional about her career development. If I were to describe her, she felt like a warm hug.

In the Bible, I am fascinated by Deborah, who was the only woman who was both a prophet and judge alongside two other men in Israel’s history – Moses and Samuel. She was the only woman among the twelve judges in the Old Testament. Her role shows that women were not always inferior to men since she was called upon by God to deliver Israel. And it is quite interesting that billions of years later, looking at the prominent issues being discussed globally today, gender equality, especially in the leadership space, takes the highest priority. Deborah had characteristics that I admire and resonate with in all the spaces that I serve. She was strong; a well-known military leader when the entire nation was in despair. She was also brave and was called by God to lead at a terrible time. Deborah was also wise – she served God and his people with wisdom and knowledge. She was supportive, motherly, obedient, respected and genuinely impeccable.

I have a number of role models. Everyone in my life impacts my life differently and positively, which I truly appreciate.

Professional Impact

I have been able to transform the service delivery mechanisms of the Municipality through the introduction of the 5-year Strategic Planning and Integrated Development Planning Framework which resulted in greater improvement in transparency, accountability, stakeholder participation and development in the city.

My strength is in setting, conceptualizing and leading the implementation of strategy as well as leading multi-functional teams. In addition, I am a problem solver; which is what has enabled me to strengthen the Municipality’s weak governance systems through the establishment of; a Board Charter, Enterprise Risk Management Framework, Quality Management System, Performance Management System, Turn-Around Strategy, Human Resources Strategy and a number of service delivery policies. I also conceptualized strategies for circumventing the fiscal challenges by introducing the Public Private Partnership (PPP) approach in delivering the infrastructure development projects in the city.

I also possess strong communication skills which enabled me to improve stakeholder participation through the establishment of the Customer Relationship Management Programme. This initiative resulted in the establishment of various stakeholder engagement platforms including the Annual General Meeting, Annual Stakeholder Budget Submissions Meeting, Integrated Development Plan Submissions Meetings, production and dissemination of service delivery articles through traditional and digital media and introduction of customer feedback platforms. Aided by my extensive knowledge and skills in city planning, I have led the development of Human Settlements, development of Town Planning Schemes and Local Economic Development Strategies.

Under my leadership, the Municipality has garnered a number of global and industry awards which includes Company of the Year Awards, Conformity Assessment Body of the Year awards, Customer Service Excellence Awards and, quite recently, the Best Compliance Procuring Entity award which we received from Eswatini Public Procurement Authority (ESPPRA).

Social impact

I am a natural giver. In the space in which I serve I make sure that I identify children and young girls that are in need and support them with school fees, school uniforms, sanitary pads, and other basic needs for children in need.

What legacy do you want to leave behind?

“Impossibility does not exist.” That’s the legacy I want to leave behind.

Favourite quote

“For there is nothing impossible with God”. Luke 1:37 in the Holy Bible.

Message to young girls and boys

Put God first in everything you do. Never sacrifice your joyfulness. Enjoy your existence. Strive for excellence. Attend seminars and understand the value of networking. Know your end goal and what success will mean to you. Try to articulate where you are going. Never settle for less than you deserve and let the process take its time. While the process takes its course, keep busy on your dream. Start your own business or pick up a hobby. Remember that failure happens and it is okay to make mistakes. Know what matters. I have grown to prioritize personal development on all the aspects of my life. I have learnt to work hard on myself as much as I do on my job. If you work harder on your job, you work to earn a living but if you work harder on yourself you work to earn a fortune. Always strive to be an intentional person who is determined to be a leader who will live a legacy of delivery and believing that indeed nothing is impossible.