Newly elected mayor of Tshwane Stevens Mokgalapa is seen during a special council meeting where he was elected, 12 February 2019, Sammy Marks, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles
New Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa came into office with a list of promises, including slashing the irregular GladAfrica contract and ensuring accountability, as priorities.
The multimillion-rand deal tarnished the image of Mokgalapa’s predecessor Solly Msimanga, who failed to suspend city manager Moeketsi Mosola for signing off on the illegal contract.
Mokgalapa, however, is to meet with Mosola today to take forward recommendations made by the auditor-general last month after it was found that R317 million was irregularly paid to the project management company.
He said: “I will go forward with the auditor-general’s recommendations and look at all other legal avenues of possibly extracting the city from the contract…
“This matter will be dealt with in a matter of a week.”
Mokgalapa was sworn in unopposed, despite the Economic Freedom Fighters and the ANC abstaining from participating in his appointment.
In his inaugural speech, the Tshwane born-and-bred mayor and former member of parliament swore to target senior managers through performance assessment and vowed that Mosola would be accountable to him.
“If council fails to execute its legal mandate to hold senior managers accountable, I will approach the courts to do so,” he said.
His promises included keeping the people of Tshwane safe by ensuring the “failing” South African Police Service works with the Tshwane metro police department, rooting out corruption and speeding up service delivery.
The mayoral committee will be finalised in the coming week, but it is not clear if he will retain some of Msimanga’s appointees.
The ANC wants Mokgalapa to look into the appointment of senior officials who did not meet the requirements or possess the relevant qualifications.
Plus, the ANC’s Kgosi Maepa said, he should deal with the city’s finances, including the R5 billion irregular expenditure which was also found by the auditor-general.
“We want to know if the capital expenditure will be dealt with … he must tell the city how he will remove that.
“Steven Mokgalapa is inheriting a broken administration,” said Maepa.
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