Tshwane metro is to oppose attempts by the city manager to interdict the tabling of a report into the alleged illegal awarding of a multi-billion rand contract.
The report into city manager Moeketsi Mosola’s action in the contract is scheduled to be tabled to council on Thursday.
But he has lodged an urgent high court application to stop the tabling saying that the investigation against him was unlawful.
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Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga said the metro would file papers to oppose the application.
The contentious matter made headlines with reports alleging that there were misconduct and flouting of supply chain management processes in the awarding of the multi-billion rand tender to GladAfrica to provide project management support to the metro.
This resulted in Msimanga calling for the city manager to be suspended, pending the investigation.
This was met with resistance in council and a resolution was passed that an independent investigation would take place and feedback be given to council. It is this report that Mosola wants interdicted.
In his court papers, Mosola said it was not his intention to derail an investigation into allegations of financial misconduct against him in the GladAfrica transaction.
“On the contrary, I fully endorse the decision to do so and hope through the process to establish my innocence of any wrongdoing.”
Mosola also wants the legal fees for the application to be paid by the metro.
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Msimanga said Mosola’s actions were at odds with the public statements he made in August when he said: “…it is, therefore, my conclusion that the process that was followed in appointing GladAfrica was in compliance with the legislative prescripts governing the city of Tshwane’s supply chain management as well as the municipal finance management act.”
He said it was puzzling that he would seek to interdict the report on the eve of it being put before council for deliberation, particularly after committing to “submit all the necessary documentation surrounding this contract for public scrutiny”.
“This report is one such document relating to the conclusion of this tender and should, therefore, be met with the same measure of transparency in the public interest.
“One has to wonder if this is a commitment to transparency or the mere appearance thereof,” Msimanga said.
He said the metro would oppose the interdict in the interest of getting to the bottom of the matter “and accounting to council and the ratepayers of Tshwane who deserve to know the truth”.
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