R2.6 million from city coffers used for city manager’s legal fees in case against city
Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa has requested a legal opinion to find out if the matter was handled procedurally.
R2.6-million from city coffers has been spent on legal costs as a result of the city manager taking the metro to the labour court last year.
This is according to Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa in response to the ANC’s earlier statement on city funds being used to pay for legal costs in the fight the city manager had with the metro in a bid to block a report from a law firm on the GladAfrika issue.
Mokgalapa confirmed to Rekord that legal costs were indeed paid from city coffers for the city manager’s case.
He said the payment of the costs was done through section 109A of the systems act on the discretion of the city’s chief legal council.
“I have requested a legal opinion on the process and also requested a policy on the matter,” he said, to find out if it was done according to procedure and the possible repercussions if it was done irregularly
He also said there was a lack of policy on how this should be done.
“So far, R2.6-million has been spent on legal fees,” he said.
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The legal costs stem from the city manager obtaining an interdict against the speaker, mayor and the metro to block a report on his involvement on the contentious GladAfrika contract from being tabled in council.
At the time Mosola dubbed the report as “bogus” stating that the former mayor was on a witch-hunt under the guise of an independent investigation.
The Tshwane ANC had also questioned whether Tshwane would be getting a new mayor following utterances that the EFF would put forward a mayoral candidate and his name being included in the list for the DA in the national assembly.
Mokgalapa quelled the rumours and said he would be the first citizen of the capital until 2021 when local government elections take place.
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