Tomorrow, a Motion of No Confidence will be tabled against Tshwane Deputy Mayor, the ANC’s Eugene Modise, filed by the Democratic Alliance (DA). It will occur in the City’s ordinary council meeting. This motion will hopefully compel Tshwane Mayor, Nasiphi Moya, to reconsider Modise’s role as Finance MMC.
Moya has been sitting on an explosive report that confirms allegations that her Deputy benefits from a multi-million watchman services contract with the municipality.
In terms of the Code of Conduct for Councillors in the Municipal Systems Act, councillors cannot benefit from contracts with the municipality. If this rule is important for councillors, it is critical for a Finance MMC, the councillor with executive responsibility for the supply chain management division of the municipality.
Earlier this year, the municipality extended the contracts of Triotic and other security companies without following a competitive bidding process. This resulted in R170 million in irregular expenditure.
Another of Modise’s companies leases a property on which Tshwane is owed R23 million in arrear municipal debt, but the services to the property have not been cut by the City.
The irony is that Modise has often joined Tshwane Ya Tima cutoff campaigns and warns defaulting municipal consumers to pay their bills.
Mayor Moya, representing ActionSA, is the junior partner in her own coalition with the ANC and the EFF. As a result, she seems unwilling to act against Modise, the ANC leader in the council.
By keeping Modise on as Finance MMC, Moya is jeopardising Tshwane’s finances and the integrity of her own administration and its ability to bring fundamental changes to the financial rescue mission of the City of Tshwane.
The DA’s motion will force accountability in the Tshwane coalition.