City manager ‘gone too far’

Tshwane executive mayor Solly Msimanga has had it up to his neck with city manager Moeketsi Mosola and will be requesting the council to support his request to issue Mosola with a notice of intention to suspend.

In an urgent media briefing at Tshwane House yesterday, Msimanga, joined by members of his mayoral committee, said he was “drawing the line” as Mosola had committed multiple “acts which level to misconduct”.

Mosola was allegedly intimidating and targeting senior staff who refuse to “play ball” in wrongdoing, while publicly attacking the mayor since being accused of awarding the GladAfrica tender irregularly.

According to Msimanga, Mosola is also failing to perform his duties in good faith, transparently and honestly. Such misconduct will be taken to council during its monthly meeting today, said Msimanga.

“This has a negative impact on service delivery, which ought to be his primary focus,” Msimanga said. “Therefore, in the interests of the residents of the city, I will take a report to council, asking it to issue notice of intention to suspend the city manager on multiple allegations of misconduct that I have identified.”

Last month, Mosola turned to the Labour Court at the last minute to interdict a Bowman Gilfillan Attorneys report – on his alleged involvement in the irregular appointing of GladAfrica – from being tabled before council.

But after the report was leaked to the media days after the interdict was granted, Mosola issued a statement accusing the Democratic Alliance and Msimanga’s office of “defying the court’s instructions” by leaking the document.

“[Mosola] has also used the city’s resources improperly more than once, including to hold press conferences to defame council and myself,” Msimanga said.

“Furthermore, he has used internal communications platforms to issue his own personal statements. These are but a few examples of the infractions made by the city manager in recent months to distract from the serious allegations of wrongdoing.”

Last week, Msimanga sent a letter of grievance to DA leader Mmusi Maimane, requesting for intervention in the Mosola saga, stating: “It’s either this man goes or I go.”

“This has to come to an end and as such, I ask council to support my request,” he said yesterday.

This has negative impact on service delivery which ought to be his primary focus.

Solly Msimanga Mayor of City of Tshwane