Tshwane mayor under pressure to address calls for city manager's removal
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya has remained tight-lipped about the ongoing political attacks on City Manager Johann Mettler, despite the DA’s demands for her to clarify her stance on the ANC’s calls for his removal.
DA Tshwane caucus leader Cilliers Brink has called on Moya to break her silence on the matter, after writing to her warning that cancelling Mettler’s contract or pressuring him to resign would be unlawful.
He claims the ANC’s efforts to oust Mettler stem from his refusal to drop the city’s case against officials involved in a contentious tender awarded to ANC associate Edwin Sodi for refurbishing Rooiwal wastewater treatment plant.
“The ANC wants to replace Mettler with a loyalist through cadre deployment,” he said.
However, the ANC has denied claims that it intends to deploy its own cadre as municipal manager.
When asked about Moya’s stance on Mettler’s removal, mayoral spokesperson Samkelo Mgobozi said: “We are aware of the recent public statements made by various parties and have taken note of them. We fully appreciate the seriousness of the matter and the public interest.”
The ANC’s attack on Mettler is based on three main grounds, which include alleged lack of qualifications at the time of appointment in 2022, irregularities in the selection panel’s composition, and failure to acquire the required minimum competency levels within the 18-month period that ended on February 28, 2024.
Tshwane ANC leader George Matjila recently stated that Mettler’s appointment is “null and void” and would likely be set aside in court.
The controversy has intensified with the South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) this week calling for Mettler’s removal.
Samwu accused him of blocking a planned march demanding his removal, which was scheduled for Thursday to highlight worsening worker conditions since his 2022 appointment.
Mettler recently addressed rumours of his potential dismissal, saying that as a council employee, any decision regarding his employment would have to be made by the council, based on investigation, facts, and fairness, following due process.
Brink said: “It is clear that the ANC is now drawing Samwu, an affiliate of the ANC alliance partner Cosatu, into its fight to replace Mettler with a deployed ANC cadre.”
Mgobozi said Moya received formal correspondence from Gauteng MEC Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Jacob Mamabolo “regarding the compliance of senior manager appointments, to which the Executive Mayor, Dr Nasiphi Moya, has formally responded”.
Brink, however, said Mamabolo’s concerns do not relate to Mettler’s appointment validity, but rather to the recent appointment of senior manager Gardner Tefu.
Mamabolo’s office received queries about the matter but his spokesperson, Theo Nkonki has yet to respond.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za