Makhura stands firm on decision to place Tshwane under administration

Gauteng Premier David Makhura has shut down rumours that the provincial executive committee did not follow the correct procedures when placing the City of Tshwane under administration last week.

During a community meeting held at the Mabopane Indoor Sports Centre on Wednesday afternoon, Makhura sent a stern message to the DA, saying he was ready for any legal battle that may come his way.

“Some think that the right processes were not done. Shame, they think they are going to go to court and say we did not inform the relevant stakeholders,” Makhura said.

“We have gone further than that, we have informed the SA Local Government Association and the Independent Electoral Commission.”

Speaking to City Press last week, the DA said it was in the process of taking legal action against the decision, and had sent two lawyers’ letters to Makhura and the MEC of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Lebogang Maile, requesting the pair to send the notices, which were submitted to the legislature, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), to it.

On Monday, the DA said it had confirmed that neither City of Tshwane council speaker Katlego Mathebe nor any of the officials within her private office had received such communication from Maile.

“The supposed delivery dates of such notices, as mentioned in the various press releases, is misleading and untrue. The MEC is not following due process in terms of the Constitution and continues to mislead the public while creating confusion within the administration,” said the DA’s Gauteng chair, Mike Moriarty.

Makhura said he had written letters to the minister, the NCOP and the legislature on Friday. He also cleared up the misconception that he had to ask for permission from anyone other than Dlamini-Zuma and the NCOP to dissolve council.

The premier went on to say some of the individuals and entities had written back to him to acknowledge receipt of the letters. However, he would not specify who these were.

Makhura is working with Maile to appoint a suitable administrator to run the municipality until the next by-elections, which are supposed to take place 90 days after the appointment of an administrator. In this case, the premier said there needed to be more than one administrator.

“The municipality of Tshwane is not serious about its business. When you dissolve a municipality like we have and the councillors are fired, you must appoint an administrator who will run the council for 90 days. The administrator’s job must be to fix things, not get into politics – that arena belongs to councillors,” he said.

Once the administrators have been appointed, they will be expected to work with the provincial government and the National department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to put together an interim budget.

Makhura added that he was ready to defend the decision to dissolve council.

“I want to tell the court that the people of Magiwa [Mabopane, Winterveld and Ga-Rankuwa] support this decision,” he said, to cheers of “yes” from the crowd.

“The DA wants to take us to court for doing what we are supposed to do. Our executive committee cannot ignore things because we are afraid to be taken to court ... then we do not deserve to be leaders,” the premier said.

Makhura believes putting the municipality under administration is a way to “shake the system” and give power back to Tshwane’s residents.

When Makhura announced the City of Tshwane was going under administration, he cited the ongoing squabbles between political parties, continued corruption, lack of service delivery and the flouting of procurement processes as reasons behind his decision.

Queenin Masuabi Political journalist | City Press

+27 11 713 9001 Queenin.Masuabi@citypress.co.za Media Park, 69 Kingsway Road, Auckland Park

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