Throughout his career, he has sat on a number of boards; Thekwini Business Development Centre, South African Breweries, Osri Telecommunications and others.

In 1994/95 he was chair of the Durban Metropolitan Council[2] During this time he was active member of the team tasked with the development and drafting of local government legislation.

[1] Mlaba was elected the first mayor of Durban or as it is known in South Africa, Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality in 1996 after the transition to multiparty democracy.

These include the “ambitious social realignment programme” in the KwaMashu Town Centre Upgrade, the South Durban Basin Hub, the expansion of the Harbour whose capacity was now being stretched to the limit, the development of the River Horse Valley Business Estate, a development that was designed to provide this strategic infrastructure linking major residential and business townships, restructuring the colonial and apartheid urban landscape.

In Durban shanty towns continue to sprout and blight many landscapes and this has led to protest demonstrations and sometimes confrontation between the dwellers and local authorities.

With a strong bias towards business and industry, Mr Mlaba is determined to attract investment towards South Africa.