Pretoria - The ANC Youth League has accused Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga of being hasty and acting outside his scope of authority when he laid charges of corruption against the former ANC-led administration.
Msimanga laid the charges based on forensic reports that named three former high-ranking city officials relating to the refurbishment of the Pretoria City Hall and the official mayoral residence.
ANCYL Tshwane region chairman Lesego Makhubela said they would confront Msimanga during the next council meeting as he allegedly broke the law as the reports that are in Msimanga’s possession belonged to council.
“He has actually broken the law. The crusader of moral righteousness himself has actually broken the law. Those reports are council commissioned and must be served back to council. Council is not whoever is leading,” Makhubela said.
Makhubela said the former ANC-led administration commissioned the forensic investigation following reports of corruption across the city.
“Those reports were to be served in council. The investigation took over a year. Those reports, though they are in his office, are not his. Those reports must be taken to council. It was an investigation which happened when members of the ANC in council called for a forensic investigation. (Msimanga) cannot be the crusader today, tiptoeing in media houses and claiming to be an anti-corruption champion,” said Makhubela.
Msimanga laid charges at the Brooklyn police station on Wednesday. The refurbishment of the City Hall and the official residence of the Tshwane mayor reportedly cost the municipality a combined R190 million and involved the same three officials.
Msimanga had previously told the Pretoria News that the reports had been finalised as far back as November 2015 and questioned the delay in implementing the resulting recommendations.
However, Makhubela sang a different tune and claimed that they were finalised recently.
“Those reports were completed now. There are stances that the ANC is corrupt when in fact we took steps in investigating these things,” he said.
Makhubela did not spare the EFF from criticism and labelled them the “Economic Freedom Fronters”, saying they were competing with the DA.
Makhubela was responding to the corruption and maladministration charges that were laid against the ANC by the EFF on Thursday. The EFF is accusing the past regime of utilising city-owned billboards to promote the ANC ahead of the August 3 local government elections.
The EFF opened a case of corruption and maladministration against officials in the municipality’s communication, marketing and events division, as well as former mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
“Now that they see that this one (the DA) is gaining momentum, its gaining mileage, they can’t be outdone by them. What do they do? They look at billboards and see Zuma’s face on them and say it might have been paid by the municipality when it wasn’t,” he said.
Pretoria News