Gloves are off in Tshwane as mayor Solly Msimanga this week labelled a yet-to-be-released audit report into qualifications of senior managers a “witch-hunt” by municipal manager Moeketsi Mosola.
The report, which was expected to be made public on Wednesday, followed an investigation into qualifications of senior managers in the City of Tshwane.
This came after several scandals involving alleged unqualified managers occupying senior positions erupted in the capital.
Msimanga’s former chief of staff Marietha Aucamp resigned after it emerged that she had misrepresented her qualifications.
There are similar allegations levelled against Tshwane emergency chief Previn Govender, who’s currently also being investigated.
Msimanga, however, accused Mosola of having a “fixation with the qualifications” of those employed in political offices, namely the office of the speaker and the mayor’s office. “The investigation ordered by the executive mayor, we suspect, has been transmogrified into a witch-hunt,” Msimanga said in a statement.
When approached for comment, Mosola refused to respond to questions about his political boss Msimanga’s labelling of the investigation.
“I can confirm that my office has received copies of investigation reports from the independent office of the City of Tshwane’s Chief Audit Executive on 31 October 2018 at 8.13pm,” Mosola said.
“As I always do with reports of this nature, I am now busy applying my mind. Once all the necessary internal processes have been followed, I will decide on the way forward.”
Msimanga accuses Mosola of using probe as 'witch hunt'
Gloves are off in Tshwane as mayor Solly Msimanga this week labelled a yet-to-be-released audit report into qualifications of senior managers a “witch-hunt” by municipal manager Moeketsi Mosola.
The report, which was expected to be made public on Wednesday, followed an investigation into qualifications of senior managers in the City of Tshwane.
This came after several scandals involving alleged unqualified managers occupying senior positions erupted in the capital.
Msimanga’s former chief of staff Marietha Aucamp resigned after it emerged that she had misrepresented her qualifications.
There are similar allegations levelled against Tshwane emergency chief Previn Govender, who’s currently also being investigated.
Msimanga, however, accused Mosola of having a “fixation with the qualifications” of those employed in political offices, namely the office of the speaker and the mayor’s office. “The investigation ordered by the executive mayor, we suspect, has been transmogrified into a witch-hunt,” Msimanga said in a statement.
When approached for comment, Mosola refused to respond to questions about his political boss Msimanga’s labelling of the investigation.
“I can confirm that my office has received copies of investigation reports from the independent office of the City of Tshwane’s Chief Audit Executive on 31 October 2018 at 8.13pm,” Mosola said.
“As I always do with reports of this nature, I am now busy applying my mind. Once all the necessary internal processes have been followed, I will decide on the way forward.”
Mosola and Msimanga aren’t seeing eye-to-eye, with the city manager interdicting the mayor from tabling a report into the investigation of the R1.2-billion Glad Africa report in council.
The report allegedly made adverse findings against Mosola, and the mayor would have used it to convince council to push Mosola out of office, insiders allege.
Msimanga accused Mosola of trying to use the report into qualifications of senior managers to “smear” his office as Mosola allegedly communicated findings against employees in the mayor’s office.
“The motives of the city manager have by now been established … by focusing primarily on officials in the office of the executive mayor, he could deflect attention from the allegations of serious tender irregularities committed under his hand regarding the appointment of GladAfrica,” Msimanga said.
He said this would not “deter” him from ensuring the GladAfrica matter was exposed.