Johannesburg - Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba on Wednesday slammed as "political point-scoring" the decision by Gauteng provincial government to institute an investigation into the allegations of procurement maladministration in the City of Johannesburg.
This comes after MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) and Human Settlements‚ Dikgang "Uhuru" Moiloa, this week called for Premier David Makhura to institute forensic investigations into Joburg and Tshwane which include alleged irregular appointments of senior officials and tender irregularities amounting to billions of rand.
Moiloa said that if the allegations were not investigated‚ they could have "dire consequences on the credit and liquidity of those cities" and literally collapse the two Democratic Alliance-run metros in Gauteng.
In a statement, Mashaba said that the matters to be probed were already being investigated by the Public Protector after the Joburg's African National Congress (ANC) laid a complaint last year, adding that Moiloa's was instituting an investigation without any effort to engage the City and that this process was being politically driven.
"The Public Protector has engaged the City of Johannesburg in the investigation. Duplicating this investigation demonstrates further the irrational nature of the MEC's decision. It appears that his decision to institute a section 106 investigation is motivated by politics rather than good governance principles," Mashaba said.
Mashaba also questioned whether Moiloa intended on initiating similar investigations into alleged corruption in ANC-run municipalities in Gauteng, including Merafong, Ekurhuleni, and Rand West Local Municipality.
Mashaba said his administration would avail itself for an engagement with the provincial government, but warned Moiloa to proceed with caution on this matter "because the multi-party government in Johannesburg will not stand by idly when laws are twisted to settle political scores".