Vaalweekblad has established that Andile Dyakala – now facing criminal gender-based charges relating to the highly-respected acting Executive Mayor and an internal investigation – this week personally sent an official  letter of his own counter-allegations on an official ELM letterhead to a business leader and the media. The Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce (GTCoC) is demanding that ELM also investigate Dyakala for allegedly launching a dirty tricks campaign against it using official ELM resources to do so.

Approached for comment on Thursday on Dyakala’s status, Municipal Manager Lucky Leseane only said that investigations into complaints agaginst Dyakala were continuing but that he was still in place. No comment on Dyakala’s letter was avavilable at time of publication from Mayor Ntombela.

The GTCoC has now also demanded that the Sedibeng ANC clarify a supposed media statement on social media by the Sedibeng ANC Youth League in support of Dyakala, labelling GTCoC CEO Klippies Kritzinger and the Mayoral Business Forum “a criminal cartel”.

Dyakala’s official letter this week was addressed to ELM Council Speaker Maipato “Chu-Chu Shoes” Tsokolibane – seen as one of his key allies preventing his suspension – and alleged abuse of power by acting Mayor Khetiwe Ntombela. This followed an earlier virtual meeting in which the CFO was allegedly extremely abusive to a number of senior officials and the acting Mayor. Dyakala also said in the official letter – in Vaalweekblad’s possession – that after the alleged virtual meeting incident he had received threatening phone calls telling him “not to interfere with the work of the acting Mayor”. But he has not reported these internally or to the Police as he was “afraid of the influence of acting Mayor Ntombela, who is highly regarded in political circles.

Dyakala did not confirm or deny the prior official allegations against him in his letter to the ELM Speaker, but admitted he was under “stress” during the meeting allegedly because the acting Mayor had made an incorrect statement in the meeting which he as CFO was compelled to repudiate. In a distorted sentence he added he was “prepared to be shot by acting Mayor Ntombela” but provided no evidence that she had in fact threatened to shoot him or have him shot.

“It’s classic fake news and disinformation tactics seeking to shift focus from his alleged misconduct to other people and issues and to avoid consequence management on his extremely bad record as CFO – he is responsible along with former Municipal Manager Oupa Nkoane for both the Eskom debt crisis and destroying ELM’s smart meter programme amongst others,” said Emfuleni political sources.

Dyakala also did not address subsequent social media posts and voice-notes by him on social media which have been interpreted as extremely abusive and threatening towards acting Mayor Ntombela. Dyakala is known to be vehemently opposed to the Mayoral Business Forum recently established and which will see ELM and business resources jointly harnessed to restore services and good governance.

Vaalweekblad has learned this follows another highly-abusive and threatening tirade in a recent online virtual meeting including Dyakala and in which he is accused of attacking and abusing not only Ntombela, but also Willy Bhila, the provincial Administrator set over ELM recently.