‘DA is falling apart where party governs’
Tshwane mayor quits, George graft scandal
THE DA claims good governance as a badge of honour, but what the public sees is that where the party governs things quickly fall apart.
This is according to opposition parties after a week of gruelling politics which ended with the resignation of embattled DA City of Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa yesterday.
Mokgalapa, the former DA MP who took office last February when he replaced the current party leader in the provincial legislature, Solly Msimanga, is vacating the highest office in the metro at the end of the month.
His resignation came amid allegations of a “sex scandal” involving a fellow mayoral committee member.
He was placed on special leave following allegations of an intimate engagement at work with a subordinate. This was after an audio recording of him allegedly sexually engaging with the then Roads and Transport MMC Sheila Senkubuge went public.
Mokgalapa said yesterday that his decision to resign was in the interests of Tshwane, and not himself.
He said he had seen the negative impact and events that had transpired in recent weeks.
He saw it fit to step down and was not pushed out by the party, he said.
“I am still a member of the DA. I have not and will not resign as a member.”
He said his resignation had nothing to do with the claims that so-called “clever blacks” were being removed from the ranks of the DA.
In Oudtshoorn and neighbouring George, the DA-led municipalities have been rocked by recent corruption allegations.
In George, the DA passed a motion of no confidence in its mayor, Melvin Naik, described by opposition parties as a blow to BEE in the region.
The motion last week was successful with 22 of 25 votes, and the result forwarded to the DA’s federal executive, which is to consider it and decide whether to give Naik three days to offer reasons why he should not resign.
The vote came after the DA studied the findings of a forensic investigation into allegations of fraud, corruption, maladministration and serious malpractice within the George Municipality.
Naik has denied all the allegations against him.
The allegations have not been proved in court.
In Oudtshoorn, municipal manager Allan Paulse was placed on three months’ paid leave, pending the outcome of a probe into alleged financial irregularities. Corporate services director Reginald Smit is now acting municipal manager in his place.
The investigation comes after mayor Colan Sylvester requested the DA probe the fitness of Paulse to hold office. Sylvester accused Paulse of financial irregularities in the awarding of two tenders to the tune of R3.3 million. It is understood three DA councillors did not support the council’s decision at the vote on Friday.
Paulse refused to comment yesterday. Local government MEC Anton Bredell’s spokesperson JamesBrent Styan referred questions back to the municipality.
Oudtshoorn ANC chief whip Jongilizwe Tyatya called for the probe into Paulse to be conducted by an independent investigator, and dismissed as propaganda the decision to place him on leave. “The issue of special leave is only fair. When such allegations of irregularities are made, an investigation needs to take place. The outcomes of this investigation will point at the DA caucus, as they have not made sound decisions.
“This is all because of the infighting within the DA. The mayor and his cronies (friends and caucuses) are the ones behind this plan of ensuring that Oudtshoorn Municipality collapses,” Tyatya said.
GOOD party secretary-general Brett Herron said: “They (DA governments) lack the capacity and the leadership to deliver stable service delivery-oriented governments.”
DA national spokesperson Solly Malatsi said: “Unlike other parties in government, the DA takes decisive action against acts of alleged corruption following due process. We are a party committed to a clean government. We will not allow any public representative to jeopardise our reputation as the party of good governance.”
He said this is why the party had gone to the extent of laying charges against its own leaders in government where alleged unethical conduct had taken place, “as we did by handing over the report of the forensic investigation into allegations of corruption in George Municipality”.