City Manager
Ms. Thuso Nemugumoni
Ms. Thuso Lavhelesani Patricia Nemugumoni is a seasoned and dynamic public servant, currently serving as the City Manager, entrusted with steering the administrative engine of the capital city of Limpopo Province, Polokwane Municipality.
A trailblazer in local government, Ms. Nemugumoni brings with her a distinguished track record of more than a decade of high-impact leadership across all three spheres of government. Her appointment is both a bold affirmation of her technical acumen and a strategic investment in visionary leadership rooted in integrity, discipline and results.
She is not unfamiliar with the leadership role, having acted as Municipal Manager at Capricorn District Municipality, where she presided over a string of achievements — including three unqualified audit opinions and two clean audits, milestones that placed the district among the best governed in the province.
Career journey anchored in excellence
Ms. Nemugumoni has held key executive positions that have shaped her into one of the province’s most formidable local government administrators:
- 2022 – Present: City Manager, Polokwane Municipality
- 2018 – 2022: Executive Manager: Strategic Executive Management Services (SEMS), Capricorn District Municipality
- 2015 – 2018: Executive Manager: Community Services, Capricorn District Municipality
- 2012 – 2015: Director: Community Services (Fire Services, Disaster Management, Municipal Health, Sports, Arts and Culture), Mopani District Municipality
- 2010 – 2012: Deputy Director: Sustainable Livelihoods, Gauteng Department of Social Development
This diverse portfolio reflects her adaptability and also her capacity to lead across technical disciplines with a people-centred approach.
Academic credentials and professional development
Ms. Nemugumoni is a lifelong learner committed to evidence-based, ethical governance. Her academic credentials include:
- Master’s Degree in Public and Development Management – Wits University
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Work – University of Venda
- Municipal Finance Management Programme (MFMP) – Wits University
Her educational background is anchored in development and finance, perfectly aligning with the complex demands of contemporary municipal administration.
Transformative leadership in Polokwane Municipality
Since assuming the role of City Manager, Ms. Nemugumoni has ushered in a new era of stability, credibility and performance-driven administration in Polokwane. Her tenure has already produced the following notable achievements:
- Three consecutive unqualified audit outcomes — breaking a years-long pattern of Qualified Opinions
Improved institutional discipline through regular Executive Management, Extended Management and Clean Audit Operation meetings - Implementation and strengthening of the Performance Management System (PMS), ensuring accountability, measurable targets and a culture of excellence across all levels of the administration
- Enhanced revenue collection performance, bolstering financial sustainability
- Review of the municipal structure, aligning operational delivery with strategic outcomes
- Recognition by the Executive Mayor, Cllr Makoro John Mpe, for Visionary and Outstanding Administrative Leadership
- Two consecutive SALGA Awards for Polokwane as the Most Media Profiled Municipality
Her impact is further evident in the 2023/24 Institutional Performance Report, which shows measurable improvement across all directorates under her leadership.
Provincial recognition and SALGA Excellence
In March 2025, under her strategic guidance, Polokwane Municipality made history at the SALGA Moses “Big Moss” Maluleke Municipal Awards held in Bela-Bela, clinching six prestigious accolades, namely:
- Innovation in Municipal Digital Solution
- Improved Municipal Council Grading
- Sustaining Improved Audit Opinion (2023/24)
- 100% Spending of Water Services Infrastructure Grant
- 100% Spending of Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant
- In-house Preparation of Annual Financial Statements (2023/24)
These awards are a reflection of compliance and a demonstration of institutional excellence and the power of capable leadership.
Ms. Thuso Nemugumoni exemplifies a new generation of high-impact administrative leadership in South Africa’s municipalities — principled, capable and development-focused. Her tenure as City Manager continues to affirm that with the right leadership, local government can and must deliver meaningful change to the lives of ordinary South Africans.
Her story is a testament to merit, resilience and purpose — and her leadership is the foundation upon which the City of Polokwane is rising.