Publications
Partners
An urgent motion to suspend Tshwane city manager Moeketsi Mosola has been brought for consideration by the City council on Thursday.
The motion, brought by ANC councillor Kgosi Maepa and seconded by ANC councillor Mapiti Matsena, seeks Mosola's suspension on the same day that the Labour Court is expected to hear an urgent application, filed by Mosola, to prevent the release of a draft report on engineering company GladAfrica.
According to the motion, "it is evident that the Council at its meeting held on 10 September 2018 did not apply its mind intensively on the reasons given by the City Manager as to why Council must or not suspend him".
"It is not a self-created urgency but in the interest of public, it is extremely important for this Council to consider the suspension of the City Manager," the motion reads.
Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga on Thursday noted the ANC's urgent motion.
"We are perplexed as to why [the ANC] rejected [a motion of suspension] on 10 September when mayor Msimanga put it to council. We will allow council to do its work and take whatever steps need to be taken to ensure accountability for the ratepayers of Tshwane," Msimanga's spokesperson Sam Mgobozi said.
In August, the City and GladAfrica were at the centre of allegations of tender irregularities, following a reported R12bn deal it secured to provide project management support to the City.
READ: Urgent bid to stop release of GladAfrica report heads to Labour Court
The City later resolved to institute an investigation into the allegations after attempts by Msimanga to suspend Mosola were unsuccessful.
In September, the company also decided to request the Gauteng Ethics Advisory Council to probe the process undertaken by GladAfrica Project Managers (Pty) Ltd in bidding for the contract.
A report into the scandal was expected to be shared with the capital city's councillors on Thursday.
However, Mosola lodged papers in the Labour Court on Tuesday.
News24 reported on Wednesday that in court papers, Mosola sought the decision for an investigation into the matter deemed unlawful. He also wanted the investigation to be halted.
ALSO READ: ANC threatens legal action against Tshwane mayor over GladAfrica scandal
In his founding affidavit, Mosola wrote that he had no quarrel with the council's decision to investigate the allegations of misconduct in the GladAfrica transaction. But he added that he disputed the legality of the process that the council had chosen to follow.
The ANC has since threatened to lodge a high court application to have the awarding of the controversial GladAfrica tender set aside, should Msimanga fail to have it put under judicial review.
In a letter from their attorneys, sent on Wednesday, the ANC said: "We need not remind you that an invalid and improper administrative decision taken remains until set aside by an order of the court."
Read the full motion here:
