EThekwini Municipality Financial Fundi Graduates with Master of Administration Degree

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The need to broaden his knowledge of the funding gap in local government motivated eThekwini Municipality’s Chief Financial Officer Mr Krish Kumar to pursue and earn a Master of Administration degree at UKZN.

In his dissertation titled: “Narrowing the Municipal Funding Gap: A Metropolitan Perspective in South Africa”, Kumar used his 35 years of financial experience to explore how municipal expenditure impacts on service delivery.

‘The funding gap in local government is something that I have been working with for the past 35 years so accordingly I am very passionate about finding solutions to the challenges,’ said Kumar. ‘The key outcome is that in order for metros to meet the huge backlogs in service delivery there needs to be improved productivity, more focused expenditure with a balance between economic, social and rehabilitation expenditure. 

‘In addition all new development must be in terms of the Integrated Development Plans and in spatially targeted nodal areas that promote densification and public transport mobility thus improving the quality of life of citizens. A key outcome was that there is a funding gap and a local business tax was recommended to bridge this,’ explained Kumar. 

Kumar’s passion for serving the City he was born in has seen him occupy various roles in a variety of financial organisations. These include being the Commissioner on the Fiscal and Finance Commission; a member of the South African Local Government Association’s (SALGA) finance working group, and also serving as the board member of the Accounting Standards Board and current chair and former president of The Institute of Municipal Finance Officers’ CFO forum.

 For Kumar, whose thesis was supervised by Professor Purshottama Reddy Kumar, the need to continually empower himself with knowledge has not only motivated him to pursue this qualification but has also propelled him to complete 21 modules of the minimum competency that National Treasury has introduced for all senior managers in the public sector.

Graduating with a Masters of Administration has not only been a learning curve for him but it also created an opportunity to share his wealth of knowledge with fellow UKZN students and build a legacy for future leaders.

‘I felt it necessary to share some of the lessons learnt with future generations as I have worked my way through the ranks from a trainee accountant to where I am today. I believe that I already have the necessary qualifications for my post but the masters and the doctorate are necessary for me to share and document my many years of work in the municipal sector. My intention to pursue a doctorate for which I am in the process of submitting my proposal,’ said Kumar. 

Thandiwe Jumo