Msimanga reveals resignation, takes swipe at ANC
DA GAUTENG premier candidate Solly Msimanga yesterday dropped a bombshell when he announced his resignation as Tshwane’s executive mayor with effect from February.
The surprise announcement was made ahead of the much-anticipated election, expected to be held in May this year.
“This decision was not made lightly or hastily, and I have done so because I believe it best serves the interests of the people of Tshwane, and Gauteng as a whole,” Msimanga said.
The resignation will be finalised within the first two weeks of February.
Msimanga took a swipe at the previous ANC administration, saying he uncovered “first-hand the very devastating effects of ANC corruption and mismanagement of the country’s cities and towns”.
“When I took office, Tshwane was effectively bankrupt and was being used as an ATM for corrupt activities, which robbed the people of a chance to live a life of dignity,” he said.
The resignation comes against the backdrop of his ongoing feud with city manager Dr Moeketsi Mosola over the controversial awarding of a project management contract to an engineering company called Gladafrica in November 2017.
Valued at R12 billion, the contract was generally believed to be the reason he lost favour with the EFF in Tshwane.
Msimanga, however, dismissed suggestions that the decision to step down was motivated by his fall-out with Mosola.
He said he wanted “to focus solely on my role as the DA’S premier candidate for Gauteng”.
He reflected on his administration’s performance since it took over Tshwane after the 2016 municipal elections.
He recounted that the Da-led administration inherited a R2bn deficit from the previous ANC municipality.
“We were able to correct this and show a surplus at the end of the first financial year in office in 2017. We uncovered over R1.5bn that was squandered by the previous ANC government. We were able to reduce unauthorised expenditure by over R1 billion and irregular expenditure by R100 million,” he said.
Under his leadership, more than 900 political appointees in the mayor’s office were removed.
The mayoral mansion inherited from the ANC was sold at the cost of R5m, which was used to build RDP houses for 40 families in Attridgeville.
The administration initiated the Informal Trader Bursary Fund, which has made available R226325 to settle outstanding fees for the 2017 academic year for ten existing beneficiaries.
Msimanga lashed out at the ANC administration under Premier David Makhura for its failures and to “have allowed corruption to thrive”.
“These are human lives which have been destroyed by an uncaring ANC government. It has been two years since the country and the world at large was shocked by the killing of 148 psychiatric patients through the Life Esidimeni scandal,” he said.
The ANC in Gauteng said it was not surprised at the resignation, saying it was inevitable.
“It is clear, however, that instead of holding him responsible for his failures in the city, the DA felt it better just to recall him, and presented this recall as a resignation. The ANC would have preferred that the DA live up to its call that it holds its representatives accountable – but this is not to be,” the party said.
The party said under Msimanga’s watch, service delivery in the capital city had collapsed.
“From his scandalous appointments of incompetent and unqualified personnel in his office, to corruption relating to irregular contracts, to running battles with his municipal manager Mr Mosola, Solly has proven that he just cannot take on such or similar responsibilities,” it said.