In a dramatic turn of events, embattled Tshwane city manager Moeketsi Mosola has survived the DA’s bid to have him suspended.
During a vote on Thursday evening during the metro’s first council sitting of the year, which saw 111 councillors vote against the motion to have him suspended and 94 votes in favour of suspending him, Mosola clung to his position in the third vote of its kind.
Outgoing Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga had brought a report to the council that was deferred from November’s sitting which dealt with the manner in which the city manager had conducted himself over the last few months.
ALSO READ: EFF snubs DA in Mosola fate vote
Speaking to the media after the failed bid, Msimanga said if the EFF were really willing to deal with corruption, they would have supported the motion to suspend the city manager pending the outcome of an investigation into his conduct.
He said Mosola’s conduct has had a negative impact on service delivery which ought to be his primary focus.
“The real question is why are they insistent on protecting a city manager who has a case to answer, they have done so for the third time.”
He said this was not the first time the party had abandoned its responsibilities to the electorate.
“It is for them to explain to their constituents in Tshwane as well as the residents as a whole as to why they have chosen to shield a city manager who has a serious case to answer.”
Tshwane ANC leader Kgosi Maepa told the media that they could not suspend a person on “nefarious things that have nothing to do with the truth”.
ALSO READ: UPDATE: Msimanga wants Mosola out
“The truth is that money is missing and GladAfrica has been paid to the tune of more than a quarter of a billion rand.
“We don’t want to vote about the feelings and the games that Msimanga is playing.”
EFF leader MoAfrika Mabogwane said they needed further scrutiny of the auditor-general’s report.
“Rest assured if we find corruption as the EFF we will be the first people to deal with it.
“If there is emerging proof that there is corruption that the city manager has been involved in, we are going to deal with him.”
The sitting also saw outgoing mayor Solly Msimanga face the third motion of no confidence as the ANC and EFF wanted him to vacate the mayoral office immediately and not in the 10 days he had stated in his letter.
The speaker of the council Katlego Mathebe, however, disallowed the motion.
“The motion is disallowed and also it is impractical at the end of the day he is vacating office. If you are not happy with my ruling, you know what to do in terms of section 40.”
ALSO READ: Mosola ‘laughs off’ DA charges against him
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