Opposition parties in the Mangaung Metro say the resignation of City Manager Tankiso Mea does not absolve him from the alleged corruption and maladministration.
This after the Mangaung Metro Municipality confirmed the resignation of the City Manager.
The Metro was placed under administration in December 2019 and has been downgraded twice by rating agencies.
Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor David Masoeu says Mea resigned to escape responsibility.
“The council has decided that they’re going to release him. Even though the disciplinary proceedings have not been finalized. So on one hand we are happy that the allegations of misconduct were actually found to be true by the private investigator. On the other hand, we know what the ANC does normally. They will just deploy him somewhere else. We wanted him to account for his actions his failures in the municipality.”
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) councillor Paulnita Marais says Mea resigned just before his disciplinary hearing.
“The city manager just resigned two days before his disciplinary hearings and we as the EFF say he must be held accountable for what happened in Mangaung. Mangaung is in a mess because of him. There is no service delivery everywhere there is water crisis sewerage everywhere. People are suffering because of Mea.”
The Mangaung Community Concern group says Mea’s sudden resignation is an indication of guilt.
Spokesperson Motlatsi Mokgatla says, “This is an indication of admission of guilty from his side and the council. However we want to emphasize that gone are the days where people will just mess up with issues of governance and finances of taxpayers money and they just go home – without facing any consequences.”
Allegations against Mea include financial mismanagement, unauthorised and wasteful expenditure, as outlined in the video below:
A spokesperson for the Mangaung Metro Municipality, Qondile Khedama, says an acting municipal manager has been appointed following Mea’s resignation.
“The city manager has resigned. The council has appointed Mr. Sello More to act as the City Manager so that the operations are not interrupted whilst other processes are unfolding. Yes, the investigations were instituted against him earlier and we obviously got legal advice as to the council that he has resigned, any other thing outside his resignation will be dealt with by relevant institutions.”
The instability at the municipality continues even after former Mayor Olly Mlamleli was axed via a motion of no confidence last year.
