A court’s threat of jail time for Tshwane officials sets a strong precedent for holding municipal leaders accountable.
If Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya complains that she has to clean up the mess left by her predecessor, Cilliers Brink, we would have to at least listen to her.
She now faces a potential one-month jail sentence – along with city manager Johann Mettler – for contempt of court for ignoring a court order that the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market should be upgraded.
Unfortunately for Moya, she is the top person now, but the legal drama happened back in 2022.
That being said, however, we do like the idea of threatening municipal officials and even politicians with time behind bars for disobeying court orders.
We cannot have a situation where those who govern us think they are above the law.
ALSO READ: ANC and DA trade barbs over City of Tshwane’s cleaning levy
This must apply to all tiers of government – national, provincial and local.
With this precedent in hand, we think ratepayer organisations should see the courts as a way of enforcing their rights to municipal services, which are being paid for and, in many cases, not being delivered adequately.
If they won’t listen to us and they won’t listen to a judicial officer, then they must put on the orange uniform of a convict.
This ruling is a victory for the rule of law and long-suffering ratepayers everywhere.
