(NEWZIMBABWE) Zim man lands top job with US town

Zim man lands top job with US town
by Staff Reporter
09/07/2009 00:00:00

A ZIMBABWEAN man has been appointed town manager of a small American city. Norman Khumalo, 45, will use skills honed as a planner for the city of Bulawayo after taking over his new job at the Massachusetts town of Hopkinton in June.

Khumalo served in a similar capacity at two other US towns, Wellesley and Walpole. His last job was as assistant town manager for Westford, a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

He was offered the Hopkinton post on March 7 after a daylong interview session with selectmen that included three other candidates, board Chairman Brian Herr said.

Khumalo said: “In many ways, local government is marked by high expectations. My experience working for the towns of Wellesley, Walpole and Westford has prepared me well to handle and deal with high expectations from citizens.”

The town has a population of about 20,000 people.

As part of his job, Khumalo must make long and short-term decisions about the management and development of his town, balancing the conflicting demands of housing, industrial development, agriculture, recreation, transport and the environment.

A holder of two degrees from the University of Zimbabwe and a Masters in Public Administration from the Carleton University, Canada, Khumalo told the town’s residents his ‘open door’ approach to management was “the foundation to an inclusive, transparent, equitable and accountable local government institution, one that is based on trust.”

Khumalo worked as the Africa Regional Manager for the charity, Oxfam America, between 1995 and 1997. He directed and supervised all operations of the international development organisation’s Africa programme.

He is also credited with designing and coordinated Oxfam America’s response to the Rwandan genocide and Great Lakes region crisis.

Khumalo sees a relationship between the two jobs.

He said: “Contact with people, the opportunity to have a positive impact on a community, economic opportunity and civic participation are common to both.

“I left Oxfam because I felt I had achieved my goals in international development. Oxfam gave me a greater and deeper understanding in community development, strengthening communities and exercising leadership for a greater common good.

“These skills prepared me to be a better and more effective planner.”

He values his mother’s teaching never to take himself too seriously, “thus instilling in me strong values about teamwork, valuing input from others, building partnerships and helping others to achieve their own desires and goals.”