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Embattled Tshwane city manager Moeketsi Mosola has condemned the Democratic Alliance for allegedly leaking the Bowman-Gilfillan preliminary report to the media.
The report revealed that a three-year R12-billion infrastructure contract, which was awarded to engineering consultants GladAfrica, did not fulfil the relevant procurement processes.
GladAfrica, which has already been paid R250 million to manage projects in the City of Tshwane, has over the next three years secured additional contracts amounting to R12 billion.
This weekend City Press reported on the preliminary findings, which showed that the contract did not comply with the Constitution and the Municipal Finance Management Act or regulation 32. The final report is to be concluded by the end of November.
Mosola has argued that GladAfrica was contracted under regulation 32 of government’s tender processes – which allows the city to use a service provider contracted by another organ of state.
Mayor Solly Msimanga has previously claimed ignorance on the awarding of the contract.
Read: Msimanga pleads ignorance of scandal
On Sunday, Mosola released a media statement that said that the DA was using “dirty and unlawful tricks” to tarnish his reputation.
The report was meant to be tabled in council, but Mosola obtained an interdict against Msimanga, speaker Katlego Mathebe and the City of Tshwane in the Labour Court.
The matter will be heard on November 9. As a result of this interdict, Mosola says that the DA had transgressed by releasing the report to the media.
“To date, Dr Mosola as a subject of the Bowman-Gilfillan preliminary report has not received or seen it – only the DA government and the office of the executive mayor received it. The little that Dr Mosola has seen of the report are notes from inquiries by both newspapers in what they claimed to be findings of the report thus rendering it bogus,” the statement reads.
“The people of Tshwane and South Africa must know that the DA government in Tshwane acted unconstitutionally by defying the court order and therefore they cannot lay a claim to clean governance. Clean governance means respecting the rule of law even if it does not favour you,” it goes on to say.
In response to the claims against the DA, spokesperson Solly Malatsi told City Press on Monday that “the DA believes that the mayor of Tshwane is right in the manner where [it] has handled the allegations that resulted in the City of Tshwane instituting an investigation conducted by Bowman-Gilfillan into the awarding of the GladAfrica contract”.
Mosola told City Press that there were no “irregularities” in the appointment of GladAfrica, and that after Bowman Gillfillan was called in to investigate, he “realised that I was never going to be subjected to a fair investigation”.
Read: DA’s ‘white minority cabal’ wanted me out at all costs, says Tshwane city manager
“This leaking of a council report by the DA is not only totally inappropriate and undignified behaviour only aimed at tarnishing Dr Mosola’s good name and reputation in an attempt to get rid of him – it is illegal and unlawful and it must be condemned by all South Africans who believe in the rule of law and constitutionalism,” the statement reads.
The DA however has not been the only critic against Mosola.
During a media conference that was held by the ANC in Tshwane in August, ANC regional chairperson Dr Kgosi Maepa called for Mosola’s immediate suspension.
