EFF GAUTENG WELCOMES PRECAUTIONARY SUSPENSION OF TSHWANE CITY MANAGER JOHANN METTLER
PRETORIA – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has officially welcomed the decision by the City of Tshwane Council to place City Manager and Accounting Officer Johann Mettler on precautionary suspension pending an independent investigation.
The resolution was taken during a closed council sitting following a 45-page complaint lodged by the EFF, which accuses Mettler of serious misconduct, financial mismanagement, maladministration, and a gross dereliction of duty.
A Long-Standing Call for Accountability
The EFF stated that the council's decision follows years of mounting concerns raised by the party regarding Mettler’s administrative leadership, poor performance, and a general deterioration of municipal governance.
According to the red berets, the party has consistently called for decisive action against the City Manager since 2023.
The EFF maintains that Mettler repeatedly failed to discharge his regulatory responsibilities, alleging that he played to the political gallery by partisanly advancing the interests of the Democratic Alliance (DA) rather than serving the capital city and its residents impartially.
Solidarity’s Legal Threats Critiqued
The EFF Gauteng further noted a letter of demand issued by the trade union Solidarity (Solidariteit) on behalf of Mettler, which threatens urgent legal action to reverse the council’s suspension order.
While acknowledging that every employee maintains a constitutional right to approach the courts, the EFF emphasized that litigation must not be used as a tool to frustrate lawful oversight and democratic accountability processes.
The party defended the council’s intervention framework, explaining the systemic necessity of the suspension:
Protection of Integrity: A precautionary suspension is neither an implementation of punishment nor a final finding of guilt; it is a standard procedural measure to protect the independence of the investigation.
Preventing Interference: As head of the municipal administration, the City Manager exercises direct authority over senior officials, municipal records, internal systems, and day-to-day operations. His continued presence could create a reasonable perception that witnesses or evidence could be compromised.
The EFF labeled Solidarity’s position as contradictory, arguing that the union cannot logically claim to support an independent probe while simultaneously demanding that the individual under investigation remain in absolute control of the institution’s records and staff.
Calls for Interference-Free Investigation
The suspension aligns with the Local Government: Disciplinary Regulations for Senior Managers, which permit a council to issue a precautionary suspension if a manager's presence risks jeopardizing an active probe or undermining municipal stability.
The EFF Gauteng has called on all political parties and external organizations to allow the independent investigation to proceed without intimidation, interference, or premature conclusions. The party insisted that the eventual findings must be implemented without fear, favor, or selective application.
The regional command concluded by emphasizing that the City of Tshwane must continue to function effectively under the newly appointed Acting City Manager, Musa Kumalo, to guarantee uninterrupted service delivery to local communities.
The EFF reiterated its commitment to clean governance, asserting that no public official is above absolute accountability.
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