THE death of the director in the office of the executive mayor, Matthew Moonieya, is a great loss to Buffalo City, said Mayor Zintle Peter.

Moonieya, 60, died on Friday, 25 August, while on an official trip to Sweden for the bi-annual twinning meeting in the city of Gavlė.

"Matthew became a tireless worker and advocate for the betterment of the broader city and its people, and threw himself wholeheartedly into the business of assisting the mayoral office in transforming and stabilising the municipality's administration, and building the image of the new municipality," said Peter.

Moonieya, a journalist by training was well-equipped to fulfil the critical back-room role of providing support to the political leadership of council in strategic communications and public relations, she added.

In terms of improving economic growth, Peter said he had taken on the task of overseeing both the critical programmes of public participation as well as the articulation of a high-level City Development Strategy (CDS).

"The CDS aims to create positive economic momentum for Buffalo City, to leverage massive investment in key infrastructures and ultimately to broaden access to the better life towards which we all continue to work.

"The balancing act inherent in these tasks required the kind of sensitive pragmatism that Matthew possessed in abundance," she said.

The City extended sympathies to Moonieya's wife Gaye and their son, as well as his family from a previous marriage.

"We will miss him," said Peter.