Michael Sutcliffe is the former municipal managerA look back at Sutcliffe’s tenure, by Nondumiso Mbuyazi, Daily News, 29 December 2011 of the eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality (population 4 million), which includes the city of Durban, South Africa. During his time in the position he was widely reported to be a controversial figure amongst Durbanites and was the target of popular protest in the city.March on Mlaba & Sutcliffe 21 March 2011, Abahlali baseMjondolo He left as municipal manager of eThekwini after an audit implicated Sutcliffe and three officials in irregular housing contracts worth R3.5-billion over 10 years.
Deployed to the position in 2002 by the ruling African National Congress he remained in office till 2011. During his time as municipal manager, he was seen as openly politicising the city's administration to redirect contracts to ANC party members and reporting to political party structures rather than the elected city mayor. He oversaw the municipality's successful preparations for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and was involved in controversy regarding street renamings, the loss of the city's Blue Flag beach status,The big stink over Durban beachfronts, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 2008 illegally banning protests,Mike Sutcliffe Bans another Abahlali baseMjondolo March , Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign, 2010 banning posters,The poster boy for political censorship, Paddy Harper, The Sunday Times, 2009 serious human rights abuses in the city's housing program,Abahlali baseMjondolo & the Popular Struggle for the Right to the City in Durban, South Africa, Richard Pithouse, Llamiento, 2010 the failed privatisation of the city's bus systemSutcliffe’s Achilles heel?, Sam Sole, Mail & Guardian, 2009 allegations of spin-doctoring,Struggle Is a School: The Rise of a Shack Dwellers’ Movement in Durban, South Africa, Richard Pithouse, Monthly Review, 2006 the unprofitable uShaka Marine World,Durban bleeds municipal funds, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, 4 February 2011 threats to withdraw advertising from newspapers employing journalists critical of the municipality,Response to Daily News , Michael Sutcliffe, 2005 lack of action against environmental destruction,Extensive damage to grassland in Motala Heights and disregard for the law – offender must be prosecuted , Warrick Chapman, 2011 favoritism toward ANC-aligned individuals and businessesSutcliffe: "I want to Stay", Mathew Savides - including S'bu and Shauwn Mpisane [now Shauwn Mkhize], the latter a convicted fraudsterThe rise and fall of Shauwn and S’bu Mpisane, Durban’s Teflon Couple, Nikki Moore, The Daily Maverick, 11 February 2011 - unlawful and at times violent violations of the basic rights of street tradersCriminalising the Livelihoods of the Poor: The impact of formalising informal trading on female and migrant traders in Durban by Blessing Karumbidza, Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (February 2011) and shack dwellersSouth Africa: Business as Usual - housing rights and slum eradication in Durban , Centre on Housing Rights & Evictions, Geneva, 2008Open Letter to Obed Mlaba and Michael Sutcliffe, Centre on Housing Rights & Evictions, Geneva, 2007 and corruption.Hawks set to arrest top eThekwini officials, BONGANI MTHETHWA and MANDLA ZULU, Sunday Times, 5 March 2011ANC chief's fat-cat deals, By Wendy Jasson da Costa, IOL, 12 March 2011eThekwini manager under fire, Niren Tolsi, Mail & Guardian, March 2011
In March 2011 the Sunday Times reported that he was under investigation for irregularities in housing contracts. Sutcliffe has denied that there has been fraud but has admitted to 'financial irregularities'.Sutcliffe says cheers, Zara Mohamed Teke, Daily News, December 2011 Sutcliffe was implicated in the Manase Report, a forensic investigation into financial irregularities in the municipality, and found that Sutcliffe failed to report fraudulent and corrupt activities in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act and contravened the Municipal Financial Management Act for not promptly reporting irregular expenditure, which allowed corruption to continue under his management. The Manase Report concluded that Sutcliffe as municipal manager had "attempted to mislead the Municipal Public Accounts Committee" in covering up irregular expenditure. An earlier forensic report commissioned by the municipality which similarly implicated Sutcliffe was blocked from release while he was still municipal manager.
Sutcliffe formerly held the position of chairperson of the Municipal Demarcation Board and was a member of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature.
Born in Addington Hospital, in Durban, he has a PhD in geography from Ohio State University. In 2008 he received an award from the Association of American Geographers for distinguished public service.Association of American Geographers
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