Pretoria - Tshwane city manager Dr Moeketsi Mosola was a stumbling block to council processes aimed at dealing with the GladAfrica tender scandal, Executive Mayor Solly Msimanga said on Thursday.
Mosola had frustrated the council process to handle the matter by means of a court interdict against tabling a preliminary report with adverse findings on a controversial tender, he said.
The tender was awarded to Glad- Africa a year ago to assist in rolling out infrastructure projects worth R12billion. Msimanga was reacting to regional ANC’s statements, which suggested he must be blamed for what went wrong. Addressing journalists at Tshwane House yesterday, ANC regional leader Dr Kgosi Maepa said: “The ANC is not shocked that the DA has tried all the tricks to shift the blame to the city manager for all maladministration in the City.”
He said the ANC was privy to information which placed Msimanga at the centre of the GladAfrica scandal. “We know all the dates when and where the city manager briefed the mayor officially at the mayoral committee chaired by the executive mayor.”
Maepa said the party also knew about informal briefing sessions Msimanga had with Mosola. “The city manager cannot take the fall alone; the DA and its incompetent executive mayor are responsible for corruption, maladministration and malfeasance.”
But in response, Msimanga said: “The will of the people of the city is being frustrated by a city manager who refuses to have the Bowmans report into the matter tabled in council.
“One can only suspect that he is concerned about its contents.”
He questioned why the ANC continued to pursue the matter “with such vigour when they were in fact given an opportunity in September to suspend the city manager on the accusations that had been made against him”.
“They instead choose not to suspend him. In a desperate attempt for relevance, they are now preaching about ‘total shutdowns’ and the need for the city to be placed under administration,” Msimanga said.
He was aware that the Auditor-General had instituted an investigation into the GladAfrica matter.
Mosola yesterday broke his silence on the leaked draft Auditor-General report on his alleged involvement in the GladAfrica tender. He admitted receiving the leak and said he'd replied to the Auditor-General's enquiries.