Joburg mayor Mashaba ready to take ANC to court for 'lies'

Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba's personal legal team will on Friday write to the ANC to demand a public apology "for the lies they peddled outside the office of the Public Protector" on Thursday.

The ANC in Johannesburg has asked the Public Protector to investigate mismanagement and maladministration in the city and handed over a memorandum at the office on Thursday. Mashaba said if the the ANC did not hold a press conference within the next 7 days to issue a public apology‚ legal action will be instituted against them.

"In the process of peddling lies on the steps of the Public Protector’s office yesterday‚ the ANC has continued in their pattern of defaming the city of Johannesburg‚ and the names of both myself and my family. This will not be tolerated‚ and residents of our city can find comfort in the knowledge that we having nothing to hide. Our multi-party government operates openly and honestly with its residents. This is precisely why I will take the ANC to court over this matter‚ to demonstrate in an open court of law that their allegations are without foundation‚" Mashaba said.

He said the abuse of Chapter 9 institutions‚ such as the the office of the Public Protector‚ was a major concern.

"It is problematic that the ANC in Johannesburg is requesting the Public Protector to spend public money investigating matters that are knowingly false‚" Mashaba said.

The ANC has asked that the Public Protector investigate irregular appointments‚ purging of employees‚ irregular salary increases‚ financial mismanagement‚ conflicts of interest and maladministration in the city. The party claimed that irregular appointments had been made since the DA mayor took office‚ including that of metro police chief David Tembe.

The party also referred to the R500,000 salary increase of Mashaba’s chief of staff‚ Michael Beaumont‚ in 2016. Mashaba had said in council it would be reversed but this had not happened‚ the ANC alleged.

The ANC said Beaumont was also allocated the use of a state vehicle and VIP protection‚ "which he was not entitled to".

Mashaba's spokesman Luyanda Mfeka had said on Thursday that Beaumont's salary increase had been reversed‚ but a legal review found that the regrading of his salary had been correct.

On the security services‚ he said Beaumont was attacked at gunpoint‚ after which security services were provided for two weeks in October 2017.

The ANC also alleged Mashaba had ensured that a company his wife had shares in was awarded a multimillion-rand tender and that the mayor had solicited free services from the same company‚ which the ANC said was a conflict of interest.

Mashaba however said "the allegations levelled against the involvement of Lephatsi Financial Services‚ and my wife‚ being linked to interests in Grant Thornton‚ along with the claims that I have somehow directed work towards Grant Thornton‚ are absurd."

He said Lephatsi held no interests whatsoever in Grant Thornton‚ who has done work in the city long before he was elected as the executive mayor. He said he has "submitted‚ in my disclosures‚ all interests that I hold and have done so openly with the integrity commissioner". "In the latter half of 2017‚ the ANC took the city to court and lost with costs. To date these costs have not been paid.

"I would caution the ANC in Johannesburg: I am personally very willing to continue paying personally for my legal teams to keep taking the ANC to court in order to continue exposing their lies. Ultimately‚ they must decide if they are willing to continue paying the costs awarded by the courts for their dishonesty‚" Mashaba said.