McDowell County hosts South African government official

A program sponsored by the U.S. State Department and Appalachian State University brought a group of 15 South African government officials to North Carolina in April to study and develop strategies for their nation.

The Legislative Fellows Program is designed to "strengthen South Africa's young democracy, assist in the empowerment of mid-level government professionals and to enhance technical skills and institution-building capacity for South African legislative professionals."

The team visited North Carolina for three weeks and wound up its visit with a trip to Washington, D.C., in late April. While in the Tar Heel state, four members were assigned to units of local government, while other members were assigned to state or federal agencies.

Yandisa Majozini-Mhlamvu was placed with McDowell County. During her time there, she visited the NCACC offices, and met with Paul Crissman, chief of the Solid Waste Section of the Division of Waste Management, members of the School of Government and staff with the Local Government Commission.

A chemical engineer by training, Majozini-Mhlamvu oversees the solid waste handling, disposal and recycling operations for the municipality of the Hibiscus Coast. The community is located on the eastern coast of South Africa and is a tourist destination for people attracted to the beautiful beaches. The population of the Hibiscus Coast exceeds 300,000.

"The exposure to the United States of America's overall government system has been very good," she said. "I am intrigued with the level of transparency with all government activities. I believe that this creates a trust relation between the government entity and the citizens served. Another impact which is maybe not direct is the fact that citizens take ownership of decisions taken by the organ of government. There is a quote I like which says the following: 'knowledge is power.'"

During one of her visits to Raleigh, Majozini-Mhlamvu spent the morning visiting with Crissman, who explained the evolution of landfill legislation in North Carolina and how his section, which is an enforcement agency, interacts with local governments.

She also attended an NCACC District Meeting in Cleveland County on April 14 and visited with Sharon Edmondson of the Local Government Commission to learn about financing options available to local governments for various projects and how the LGC assists local governments.

She spent the majority of her visit shadowing McDowell County Manager Chuck Abernethy and getting a firsthand look at how county government operates.

"South Africa has a young democracy, but it is thriving, and I have seen some similarities between McDowell County and the Hibiscus Coast Municipality," Majozini-Mhlamvu said. "The good thing is that learning is an ongoing process, and local government requires dedicated employees who have a passion for changing the lives of the citizens they serve.

"I currently have a lot of ideas which I will implement back home. I sincerely thank McDowell County for welcoming me into their organization and ensuring that all my aims are being met."