Dear Editor
Yesterday, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane wrote to Tshwane Mayor, Nasiphi Moya to raise concern about the attacks by the ANC and other parties in her coalition on Johann Mettler’s appointment as municipal manager in September 2022.
I warned her against any move to have Mettler’s appointment terminated, or to use a baseless legal pretext to pressure him to resign.
Aside from the flimsy legal attack on Mettler’s appointment, mouthed by the ANC, it is clear that the ANC coalition in Tshwane wants to replace Mettler with one of their own deployed cadres.
On a number of occasions Mettler has been attacked by the EFF. Obakeng Ramabodu, the EFF Tshwane leader and MMC, has said in the Tshwane council that the party will get rid of Mettler. He has also accused him, without any evidence, of leaking confidential information.
The most notable of these attacks happened when it became clear that the city would not drop the case against the Rooiwal Five, city officials implicated in irregular tender award to a consortium of ANC funder Edwin Sodi.
Whatever legal pretext the ANC coalition devises, the point is that the party would prefer one of their own deployed cadres, not an independent professional, in the job of municipal manager.
Let us now turn to the reason the ANC believes they might be able to have Mettler’s appointment as city manager invalidated. First, they attacked the composition of his interview panel. Now, they claim he lacked the experience and qualifications to serve as municipal manager.
Section 12(3) of the Regulations on the Appointment of Senior Managers in terms of the Municipal Systems Act, 2000 set out the composition of municipal manager selection panels. The panel that recommended Mettler’s appointment was in compliance with these regulations.
Had it not been, then the MEC for Local Government would have flagged an irregularity in the appointment process in 2022. No such flag was raised in any report of the MEC, and no investigation was ordered by the MEC into any such matter.
As for Mettler’s qualifications and experience, he has served as municipal manager in Drakenstein as well as Nelson Mandela Bay. In fact, he was involved with the drafting of the White Paper on Local Government in the late 1990s. He is one of the most experienced local government practitioners still in work.
Mettler also holds legislated minimum competencies required by the MFMA. I can confirm that during the course of 2023 Mettler set out to complete the necessary courses, and he has since obtained the same. In any event, the Finance Minister and National Treasury has never questioned Mettler’s competencies under the MFMA.
We note the intention of the ANC in Tshwane to call a special council in order to invalidate Mettler’s appointment. The DA, as a party represented in council, are consulting our lawyers to act against such an attempt. And we call on Dr Moya as Mayor of Tshwane to make her position clear.
Regards
Ald Cilliers Brink
DA Tshwane Caucus Leader