Tshwane mayor’s city manager appointment might win despite ANC, EFF opposition
ActionSA jumps on board in support of Johann Mettler's appointment as Tshwane city manager.
The appointment of Johann Mettler, a former Nelson Mandela Bay city manager, as the new Tshwane metro city manager might be a foregone conclusion – despite the ANC and EFF’s opposition.
This was as the interviews for a permanent city manager concluded with Mettler the number one recommended candidate by mayor Randall Williams’ office.
The metro has had acting city managers since 2019 after Moeketsi Mosola left the post in the wake of a multi-billion rand irregular GladAfrica contract.
Mettler’s imminent appointment has ruffled the feathers of the ANC and EFF, who slammed it as “cadre deployment”.
The opposition parties believe that the mayor’s office would have an undue influence on Mettler. Mettler had also applied for the same position in the DA-led Johannesburg metro, but was not appointed. This was after the EFF accused Jhb mayor Mpho Phalatse of favouring him after the two had a meeting a day before the post was advertised.
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Mettler’s appointment report was tabled at a council meeting on Thursday for approval; however, the meeting concluded without the report being approved. The report will have to be voted for in a special council meeting.
TSHWANE COUNCIL | @EFFSouthAfrica says they are unhappy about the mayor's recommended Tshwane City Manager appointment. #TshwaneCouncil #TshwaneMetro pic.twitter.com/iGJgDlJ7Ei
— Pretoria Rekord (@RekordNewspaper) July 29, 2022
The mayor’s office needs 108 votes for Mettler to be appointed and the coalition parties all together make up that number, thanks to coalition partner ActionSA.
ActionSA former Tshwane caucus leader Abel Tau said the party would support Mettler’s appointment and vote for him should the report be challenged by opposition parties at the council.
Tau said this was a decision taken by the party’s national leadership after questions they had on the recruitment processes were clarified.
Tau said one of their concerns was that the panel that appointed Mettler “was not diverse enough”.
“We initially also had questions on his appointment because there were two candidates that scored exactly the same as him.
“We needed to understand what considerations were made for Mettler’s appointment compared to two other candidates [Musa Khumalo and Odette Ramsingh],” he said.
“The questions we had were clarified and this was enough to say we support the decision.”
The EFF, ANC and Republican Conference rejected the report.
Republican Conference councillor Lex Middelburg also raised concerns about the lack of diversity on the panel that recommended Mettler.
“If the coalition government wants to run the metro as a dictatorship, then do not ask for our support. If you recognise that we are a democracy, then behave like one.
“The coalition government has been proceeding with this matter unlawfully all by itself.”
The recruitment panel comprised DA, ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus and independent members.
Tshwane council seat allocation:
– ANC: 75
– DA: 69
– EFF: 23
– Action SA: 19
– Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus): 17
– ACDP: 2
– COPE: 1
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