The council-approved resolution to appoint the City of Tshwane’s third deputy municipal manager at the cost of R3 million per annum despite the metro’s financial difficulties has been cited as one of the reasons that galvanised the ANC into pushing for a move to oust Mayor Cilliers Brink.
The ANC is expected to table a motion of no confidence against Brink during today’s ordinary council sitting at Tshwane House, where it is likely to be supported by the EFF and ActionSA.
Proposed by former party caucus leader Frans Boshielo, the motion will be tabled on the back of a weakened multi-party coalition government due to ActionSA’s stance to break away from the coalition pact.
The decision for ActionSA’s 19 councillors to walk out of the coalition meant other partners like the DA, FF Plus, Inkatha Freedom Party and ACDP no longer have the majority numbers to form a government.
Boshielo also cited a whopping R6 billion debt owed by the municipality to Eskom and Rand Water’s outstanding interest of R15 530 163 for the financial year 2022/23 as one of the motivating factors for Brink to go.
Additionally, he said, the City’s payment of the pension fund was delayed and attracted interest to the value of R639 537.
Boshielo said the City is currently experiencing such challenges as a result of Brink’s inability to provide necessary leadership and political guidance.
He said the ANC has been vehemently opposed to the position of another deputy city manager at the cost of R3m, saying it was an “unnecessary expenditure because we are currently struggling to meet our monthly obligations”.
The late submission of five quarterly audit performance committee reports to council, he said, demonstrated lack of seriousness about governance and accountability by Brink.
“The primary role of the audit and performance committee is to ensure the integrity of the financial reporting and audit process to oversee the maintenance of sound internal control as well as providing assurance that action has been taken on risk related issues,” he said.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said the City cannot meet its short-term liabilities, including the R6.83bn debt to Eskom.
He said the power utility will be in court next month against the city to seek full and final payment of over R4 bn of the debt.
The city, Mashaba said, has a rapidly growing contingent liability of R1bn owing to municipal workers due to non-payment of legally binding wage increase agreements concluded over the years.
During a media briefing last week, Brink said the City submitted a payment plan to Eskom in April “although that plan has not been accepted, the City has kept to it and exceeded our payment commitments”.
The plan, he said, included paying the current Eskom bill for the three winter months when the Eskom bill to municipalities is significantly higher than in other seasons.
“Our strategy is to keep up current payments for an unbroken period and to use this as a basis for possible settlement of arrears interest,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DA yesterday said hundreds of its members and supporters will protest outside Tshwane House to support “the excellent work” by Brink and his administration.
“An administration that has actively been undoing neglect, misgovernance and corruption is being threatened at the hands of a party that has seemingly lost its way,” the party said.
Pretoria News