Incoming Ekurhuleni city manager and 2025 CFO of the Year nominee Kagiso Lerutla reflects on his journey, the weight of public trust and how he plans to build a more agile, accountable and investment-ready city.
When Kagiso Lerutla stepped into the role of city manager at the City of Ekurhuleni on 1 November 2025, he carried with him not only years of financial stewardship but a deep conviction that public institutions can be powerful vehicles for change. A chartered accountant with more than 15 years of experience across financial governance, municipal administration and operational reform, Kagiso’s appointment marks a defining milestone in a career anchored in discipline, service and integrity. As a former group chief financial officer of the metro and a 2025 CFO of the Year nominee, he enters this new chapter with a clear mandate: restore stability, strengthen accountability and build a city where infrastructure, innovation and people-centred governance set the foundation for long-term progress.
What does this milestone mean to you personally and professionally?
This appointment is both humbling and deeply meaningful to my career. I could never imagine that a boy from Sekhukhune could be the accounting officer of one of the biggest metro’s in the country. Personally, it represents a long-standing journey of service, one shaped by many years of learning, perseverance and a belief that public institutions can be forces for good in South Africa. Professionally, it signifies an opportunity to lead with purpose, integrity and courage, to help steer the City of Ekurhuleni towards a future where governance, investment and service excellence meet for the betterment of the lives of the residents of Ekurhuleni.
How has your experience as CFO of Ekurhuleni prepared you for this new leadership role?
Serving as group chief financial officer taught me that good governance is not just about numbers, it’s about trust. It’s about building systems that ensure every rand spent generates public value. Over the years, we worked hard to rebuild financial discipline, improve audit outcomes, and restore the City’s credibility with investors, citizens and oversight bodies. Those lessons in accountability, teamwork and resilience now form the foundation of my leadership as city manager.
You’ve been credited with strengthening financial governance in the city. How will you carry that focus on accountability into your tenure as city manager?
Accountability will remain at the heart of how we govern. Transparency must not be an event that takes place during the audit period, it must be an organisational culture. I want every department, every official and every project in this City to reflect a clear line of sight between council decisions and impact on the ground. We will continue to build strong internal controls, strengthen consequence management and ensure that ethics guide every action we take as a collective.
What is your strategic vision for Ekurhuleni, and what are the top priorities you aim to deliver in the short and medium term?
Our vision is guided by the mayor’s six key strategic pillars which seek to build a responsive city that works with agility to restore service delivery to the people. In the short term, our focus is on three fronts: stabilising governance, accelerating the delivery of basic services and restoring the integrity of our infrastructure through a rigorous programme of repairs and maintenance. Too often, cities invest in building new projects while neglecting the assets they already have. For Ekurhuleni to be truly sustainable, we must take care of what we own, our roads, streetlights, water networks and community facilities, because they are the backbone of daily life for our residents. In the medium term, we will drive investment in infrastructure, attract investment into the local economy, and position Ekurhuleni as a leading Aerotropolis in Africa, a city that connects opportunity, innovation, and inclusion.
Municipalities often face a tension between driving development and maintaining fiscal discipline. How do you plan to strike that balance?
That balance is achieved through principle and planning. Development cannot be sustained without fiscal discipline – and fiscal discipline is meaningless if it does not translate into improved lives. Our approach is to invest wisely, to prioritise catalytic projects that yield long-term public value and create an environment where economic growth funds further development. We must spend smarter, not just more.
What lessons have you learnt from leading through financial and operational challenges in local government?
I’ve learnt that leadership in the public sector requires patience, empathy, and clarity of purpose. Challenges will always exist, whether financial, political, or structural, but when you lead with values and facts, you build credibility. I’ve also learnt that the toughest times often bring out the best in people when they feel part of a shared mission. Patience and clarity of thought assist greatly in developing a root cause analysis and mapping a suitable solution.
How do you plan to inspire and empower teams within the city’s administration to deliver better services to citizens?
People perform at their best when they feel seen, heard and trusted. I want to cultivate a leadership culture that empowers rather than commands and instils fear. That means recognising excellence, investing in staff development and breaking down silos. Every official should see themselves as a custodian of public trust, not just an employee of the municipality. I want to bring every staff member along on a renewed vision for the City of Ekurhuleni.
What role do you believe innovation and technology can play in improving efficiency and transparency in municipal operations?
Technology is no longer optional, it’s essential. We must leverage digital systems such as artificial intelligence, to improve efficiency, reduce manual processes, and create platforms for real-time citizen engagement. From data-driven service delivery dashboards to AI-enhanced reporting systems, innovation must help us close the gap between government and the people it serves. We will not innovate to replace our workforce, but to augment their work and improve efficiencies.
As one of South Africa’s youngest city managers, what message do you have for young finance professionals aspiring to leadership in the public sector?
To young professionals, I say: leadership is not about age, it’s about purpose and discipline. Master your craft, maintain discipline, stay ethical and never underestimate the power of hard work and humility. The public sector needs your innovation, your integrity and your belief that good governance can change lives. Lastly, trust in the process, every journey has challenges and headwinds. But stick to your course and you will achieve your goals.
Looking ahead, what legacy do you hope to leave as both a former CFO and now as city manager of Ekurhuleni?
I hope to leave behind a City that is financially sound, investable, institutionally stable and deeply trusted by its people. A City that values service above status, impact above image. My legacy, I hope, will be one of renewal, of having helped lay the foundation for an Ekurhuleni that truly works for all its residents and one where every employee feels valued and appreciated.
