GIS

GIS Department is responsible for the following

Geographic Information System (GIS) has become an essential tool for analyzing and displaying spatial data with linkage tabular or attribute data that allows presentation of accurate and timely information to decision makers to assist in the responsible management of resources of the éDumbe Local Municipality.

éDumbe Municipality is very insightful of how data is captured, managed, maintained, acquired, disseminated, printed and secured for the short, medium and long term planning purposes. éDumbe GIS is a powerful tool for spatial planning, and is increasingly used in complex decisions by all municipal departments. The GIS is continuously expanding, and data verified on a regular basis to ensure that datasets are current. éDumbe GIS Unit has played an imperative role on assisting the municipality with maps and updated information that are essential for their day-to-day activities.
The GIS section under Planning Department is lead by Mandla Tengbeh who is deployed to éDumbe Municipality by Zululand DPSS. The role of this section is to provide spatial information for éDumbe Municipality to support better decision-making and planning efforts.

Mandla serves as a GIS Specialist and is a registered Professional GISc (Geographical Information Science) practitioner with the South African Council for Professional and Technical Surveyors (PLATO). He has a Masters degree from Stellenbosch University where he specialized in GIS Design Management and Implementation. Mandla also has an Honours degree from Stellenbosch University where he specialized in Environmental Analysis and decision-making. This precedes a degree in Geography, Environmental Science & Planning which he obtained from the University of Swaziland (UNISWA).

Prior to joining the Zululand DPSS GIS unit, Mandla worked for Sigodi Marah Martin (Development & Engineering Consultants) as a Regional Manager where he was responsible for managing all GIS related projects in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State and KwaZulu Natal across nine local offices and an International office in Freetown, Sierra Leone

GIS Objectives

The GIS Unit intends to support the following objectives:

· Coordinate geographic information management.

· Promote the view of geographic information as a critical information asset.

· To enable access to geographic data and support data sharing.

· Provide coordination to share GIS resources, including personnel, hardware, software, data and training.

· To keep an up to date municipal data and integrated data as a strategic resource.

· Improve data quality

· To promote partnerships and collaboration to develop and use the GIS

Functions

· The GIS Unit consists of a GIS Administrator that is responsible for the following key functions:

· To maintain and manage éDumbe Municipal Database

· To prepare maps for the Municipality, councillors, community members, etc

· To liaise verbally and in writing with external and internal stakeholder with GIS related issues

· To control and monitor budget and expenditure of the GIS Unit