Johannesburg - Joburg mayor Parks Tau allegedly attempted to trick and mislead fellow councillors at a council meeting in an attempt to bury a report by Public Protector Thuli Madonsela.
The report, titled Broken Promises, released in December, was on an investigation into alleged maladministration and the City of Joburg’s failure to comply with its own by-laws and the constitution, according to DA councillor Andrew Cadman.
The report arose from a complaint by a Mr and Mrs Kgaudi of maladministration and improper conduct by the city in relation to two buildings their company bought for development and were illegally occupied. According to the report, ANC councillor Mzwandile Zwane encouraged the illegal occupation of the buildings.
Cadman accused the mayor of “frantically” trying to bury the public protector’s report.
He said Tau had, on Thursday night – long after journalists had left the council meeting – supposedly tried to use deception to mislead fellow councillors.
Cadman said the city did not take action against Zwane, and failure to do so encouraged not only illegal occupation of the buildings in question, but also other councillors to follow suit.
The findings show that the council had failed without good reason, and over a long period of time, to terminate electricity services when requested to act by the complainants.
It also found that the city failed on several occasions to honour its promise to the complainants to disconnect the electricity supply to the buildings and to write off the debt for improperly rendered services.
Cadman also accused the ANC of trying, through its majority, to prevent the report from reaching the council.
“The ANC voted against the motion, and mayor Tau represented himself as the seconder of the proposed amended motion, when he knew he was not, in a failed effort to establish a right to speak,” Cadman said.
“Such blatant misconduct is to be condemned in the strongest terms, particularly when it comes from the city’s first citizen, one who should not only be leading by example, but should know better.”
The office of the mayor denied the allegations that Tau had attempted to deceive fellow councillors and bury the report. “The allegations made are unfounded and will not be entertained by the mayor,” council spokeswoman Phindile Chauke said.
She added that the city had been implementing the recommendations from the report, which included investigating allegations of misconduct against Zwane.
The city was also consolidating a report on the programme for emergency alternative accommodation and action against hijacked buildings.
In addition, the council is to appoint an engineer to evaluate the integrity of the buildings and solicit legal opinion and advice on whether it was lawfully required to buy the hijacked buildings
, Chauke pointed out.
The Star