Imogen Mashazi Biography: A Trailblazer in Public Service
Imogen Mashazi is a distinguished South African public servant, celebrated for her four decades of dedicated service, culminating in her historic appointment as the first female City Manager of the City of Ekurhuleni. Her career is defined by a commitment to public health, good governance, and women’s empowerment, with her journey transitioning from a qualified nurse to a metropolitan chief executive.
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Early Life and Entry into Healthcare
Born in Atteridgeville, Pretoria, Dr. Mashazi’s family later moved to Soweto following a promotion for her father. Her schooling was significantly interrupted during the 1976 student uprisings, leading her to stay home for two years due to the riots. Despite this disruption, her hard work and academic performance allowed her to skip grades. Driven by a profound “love of people,” she pursued nursing and secured a position at the renowned Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.
During her time at Baragwanath, she quickly established a reputation for improving conditions for both patients and staff. She pioneered an innovative program that trained nurses to assess patients and prescribe medication, marking the early stages of a career characterized by determination and a relentless pursuit of achievement. Her formal education includes a DLitt et Phil in Nursing Science from Unisa (2002), a Master in Nursing Science (MCur) from RAU (1998), and a BCur (Nursing Science) from Unisa (1992), alongside numerous diplomas and certificates in nursing and management.
Transition to Local Government and Public Health Leadership
In the early 1990s, Dr. Mashazi transitioned her expertise from hospital care to municipal governance, landing her first job in the municipality of what would become the City of Ekurhuleni. She began her local government career in roles such as Deputy Director Health Services and Welfare, Director Family Health Services, and Executive Director: Health and Social Development. She also served as Acting CEO for Nigel Town for a year.
Her impact in the health sector was transformative. She was instrumental in establishing numerous primary healthcare facilities across Ekurhuleni, significantly improving healthcare access and outcomes. Under her leadership as the head of the health department, Ekurhuleni achieved remarkable public health milestones:
- She successfully led a campaign against tuberculosis (TB), increasing the treatment rate to over 80%, which was above the national level and achieved the highest TB cure rate nationally.
- Her initiatives also dramatically reduced mother-to-child HIV transmissions.
- She oversaw the construction of more than 80 clinics, all designed to provide comprehensive curative, rehabilitative, counselling, and preventative services in one location.
- She also secured outside support from corporate entities to convert an abandoned police station into a clinic, demonstrating her ability to forge effective partnerships.
City Manager: A Historic Tenure
Dr. Mashazi’s ascent through the local government ranks culminated in her appointment as the City Manager of the City of Ekurhuleni in 2016, following three months as acting City Manager. She became the first woman to hold this post in Ekurhuleni’s democratic history. Her role involved directing administrative processes, implementing and overseeing policies, and ensuring the efficient operation of the metro. She is noted as the only woman at the time to head the administrative structure of a metropolitan municipality in the country.
During her tenure as City Manager, which was nearly a decade long, Dr. Mashazi focused on good governance, financial discipline, and essential infrastructure rollout.
- The city’s capital expenditure more than doubled, from R3.9 billion to R7 billion, enabling crucial infrastructure development.
- She oversaw the successful construction of 29 reservoirs and water towers, including Africa’s second-tallest water tower in Benoni.
- Under her administration, the city achieved an unqualified audit with a clean audit on financial statements, as well as zero unauthorised, fruitless, or wasteful expenditure during her time as Chief Operations Officer.
She is a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment. In 2017, she established the City Manager’s Women Empowerment Legacy Project and the Women in Uniform Community Safety Project to advance women’s careers in historically male-dominated departments, ensuring more women were appointed to senior and decision-making positions.
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Challenges and Retirement
Dr. Mashazi’s distinguished career was marked by both triumphs and significant challenges. She was described as an “iron lady” who remained resilient and consistently resisted outside influence that could compromise service delivery. In the later stages of her career, she faced controversy, including a public dispute over her retirement and a highly publicized appearance before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry regarding allegations about her tenure, which she refutes. She also made a personal revelation that she had a near-death experience due to illness, which she believes may have been a poisoning attempt.
Dr. Imogen Mashazi retired after completing a full five-year fixed term as City Manager, a historic achievement as the first woman to do so. Her extraordinary service has been recognised with multiple accolades, including the Public Sector Leader Award at the Top Empowerment Awards in 2020. She is a married mother of three.
The following YouTube video features a discussion with Dr. Imogen Mashazi about the city’s challenges and achievements during her time as City Manager.
Ekurhuleni city manager, Dr Imogen Mashazi talks to the City Press.
Imogen Mashazi Husband
Dr. Imogen Mashazi is a married woman and a mother of three, and she has consistently credited her husband for providing the familial support necessary for her successful, decades-long public service career. She often speaks of their long marriage, noting that he has been her partner for over 30 years. During her farewell and retirement ceremonies, she affectionately thanked her husband and family for “lending” her to the city for her demanding work.
The role of a City Manager, especially in a large metropolitan municipality like Ekurhuleni, is all-consuming, requiring immense dedication and long hours. Dr. Mashazi has publicly acknowledged that being able to balance this high-pressure administrative role with her personal life would not have been possible without her husband’s understanding and backing. Upon her retirement, she announced plans to take an extended cruise with her husband, a symbolic act of “detox” and reconnecting after her years of continuous public service.
Imogen Mashazi Age
Dr. Imogen Mashazi retired in July 2025 after reaching the mandatory retirement age for senior municipal managers in South Africa. She was born in August, and the Municipal Systems Act stipulates that senior municipal managers must retire in the month following their 65th birthday. She officially celebrated her 65th birthday around the time of her formal farewell from the City of Ekurhuleni.
Her retirement was the subject of public debate and a dispute with the Ekurhuleni council in the months leading up to her departure. While her second contract as City Manager was set to run until 2027, the law regarding the age limit for senior administrative posts superseded her contract. She was placed on special leave pending her retirement, a move she initially contested, stating her intention to remain in office until the end of July when she officially turned 65. Ultimately, she retired on July 31, 2025, successfully transitioning out of her extensive four-decade career in public service.
Imogen Mashazi City Manager
Dr. Imogen Mashazi holds the historic distinction of being the first female City Manager of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality. She was appointed to the role in 2016 after having worked her way up through the administrative ranks, starting as a qualified nurse and holding positions like Executive Director for Health and Social Development and Chief Operations Officer.
Her tenure as City Manager, which lasted nearly a decade, was marked by significant achievements, particularly in financial governance and infrastructure development. She oversaw a substantial increase in the city’s capital expenditure, allowing for the construction of critical infrastructure like reservoirs and water towers. Under her leadership, the city also achieved multiple Clean Audit outcomes on its financial statements. Dr. Mashazi is the first City Manager in the metro’s democratic history to complete a full five-year fixed term. Despite her second term being cut short by the statutory retirement age, her impact on the city’s governance and administrative stability solidified her legacy as an effective and groundbreaking leader.
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Imogen Mashazi Political Party
As a City Manager, Dr. Imogen Mashazi’s role was strictly administrative and executive, meaning she was the non-political head of the municipality’s administration, responsible for implementing the policies set by the elected political council. She has publicly distanced herself from the label of a political deployee, asserting that she was appointed on merit and rose through the ranks from within the city system.
Her commitment to neutrality and professionalism was evident in her service, as her tenure required her to work with multiple political administrations. She was initially appointed under an African National Congress (ANC) led council and later successfully continued in her role under a multiparty coalition government led by the Democratic Alliance (DA). While a waiver was reportedly sought by the former DA mayor to extend her tenure, which sparked a public dispute with the subsequent ANC-led council over her retirement, her professional responsibility remained the execution of the council’s mandate regardless of the political party in power. There is no public information confirming her personal membership in any specific political party.
