The man who refused to be mayor of Durban

As local elections approach, the story of Thomas Augustus O’Flaherty offers a fascinating glimpse into Durban’s municipal history. The Natal Bank manager reluctantly accepted the mayoralty in 1887, only to resign weeks later because of the demands of his career. His brief tenure formed part of Durban’s extraordinary “Year of the Three Mayors”, while his financial expertise helped stabilise the municipality’s troubled finances.