Pretoria - The ANC caucus in Tshwane has taken a stance to reject the proposed appointment of former Nelson Mandela Bay municipal manager Johann Mettler as city manager in the metro.
Without divulging details, the party said its position on Mettler’s pending appointment was informed by the ‘unresolved 10 serious allegations’ levelled against him.
“We will present our position in council on July 28 (today),” the party’s caucus said.
The ANC made known its decision ahead of today’s ordinary council meeting at which mayor Randall Williams is expected to table a report seeking approval from the council for Mettler’s appointment.
The metro has been without a permanent city manager for almost three years following the exit of Dr Moeketsi Mosola in the wake of a controversial project management contract awarded to GladAfrica engineering company in 2017.
Both the City and the entity opted to mutually terminate the contract, which the auditor-general flagged as being irregular.
The Pretoria News this week reported that Mettler and four other candidates were shortlisted from 139 applicants for interviews on June 3.
Williams’s report will recommend that if Mettler should turn down the offer, the council should consider Odette Ramsingh for the post and Musawakhe Khumalo as a third option.
Ramsingh is executive director of the human resources department at Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, while Khumalo is the metro’s group head for shared services.
While it remains to be seen whether ActionSA will support the appointment after the EFF in Tshwane said it would vote against it.
The EFF said its position was based on “criticism of unprofessional and unethical conduct levelled against Mr Mettler with his previous employer”.
“Tshwane EFF cannot turn a blind eye on the multiplicity of allegations levelled against Mr Mettler which formed a basis for his suspension by his previous employer,” the party said.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba did not want to comment on allegations that he struck a secret deal with the DA to support Mettler’s appointment as city manager of either Joburg or Tshwane. However, in March his party was known to be against Mettler’s proposed appointment as Joburg city manager and sided with the EFF to have Floyd Brink at the helm of the administration.
Mettler, a former Nelson Mandela Bay municipal manager, indicated in his job application he had never been convicted of a criminal offence involving financial misconduct, fraud or corruption on or after July 5, 2011.
Mayoral spokesperson Sipho Stuurman said the recruitment process for the city manager was “fair and transparent as the job forum was publicly advertised to attract skilled and suitable candidates”.
Pretoria News