Modise threatens suit after DA debt ‘slant’
MMC for Finance's Eugene Modise's, inaugural speech as deputy mayor was overshadowed by a DA councillor pointing towards the municipal debt of councillors.
Mud-slinging between the ANC and DA in Tshwane continued at the council meeting on October 18 when Eugene Modise of the ANC was elected deputy mayor.
Modise was elected unopposed following his nomination by EFF member Tshegofatso Mashabela and seconded by the ANC’s Frans Boshielo.
ActionSA’s Dr Nasiphi Moya announced her mayoral committee comprising five ANC councillors, two from the EFF and one each from GOOD and ActionSA recently.
In her congratulatory speech to Modise in council the DA’s Jacqui Uys, the last MMC for Finance, accused Modise of owing the municipality close to R700 000, a charge Modise denied and for which he threatened to take Uys to court.
Later metro spokesperson Selby Bokaba published a statement in which he said while it was against the law to disclose details of personal municipal accounts, the metro was making an exception in this instance to confirm that Modise’s account is current and paid up.
“He doesn’t owe the metro a cent, instead, he has paid upfront and has a credit on two of his municipal accounts,” he said.
“I will be consulting with my lawyer and then with ANC legal team,” Modise told Rekord regarding his threat against Uys.
Uys told Rekord that details of councillors’ indebtedness to the metro were discussed in a council meeting in August and therefore a matter of public record.
She said she was happy to hear Modise had paid up “but it needs to be pointed out that such an amount does not build up overnight”.
“It points to years of disrespect by Modise to the residents of Tshwane,” said Uys.
She said an executive in the council should be the first not to owe a cent to the metro.
Uys said Modise could “take any action he felt fit. Fact remains that in the report that was tabled in August, he owed R690 000 at the end of March this year to the metro”.
The report of August 30, identified 29 councillors who jointly owed the city more than R2.5-million as of March 31.
In his inaugural speech to the council as deputy mayor, Modise said he appreciates the responsibility that comes with his position.
He confirmed to Rekord that his priorities as the MMC for Finance will be to get an unqualified audit, stabilise the finances by improving revenue collection and remove all illegal electricity and water connections.
“I will see to it that payment arrangements will be made with corporate clients and am looking forward to meeting government clients that owe the metro,” he said.
He said his plans also include fixing the Tshwane Market, making landfill sites fully functional, generating an income, revamping the Wonderboom Airport and expediting the revitalisation of Rooiwal Power as well as Pretoria West power stations.
“I will also be looking at the reindustrialisation of Babelegi, Ga-Rankuwa and Ekandustria industrial complexes. On the cards is also the registering of all hawkers and informal businesses in the city and giving them permits.”
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