Johannesburg - The ANC has accused Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba of purging black professionals and being used by his backers, the EFF, after publicly boasting about firing over 1000 lawyers, engineers and accountants for corruption.
Addressing the launch of the anti-corruption movement in Joburg this week, Mashaba said the ANC administration he helped kick out of power in the municipality in 2016, harmed black talent.
But ANC Joburg councillor and the party’s regional spokesperson Jolidee Matongo told Independent Media that Mashaba and his DA-led coalition administration had been purging
senior managers since he came into office.
“He is giving the impression that these were ANC deployees who are sabotaging his administration,” Matongo said, adding that these were qualified people.
Mashaba yesterday said the dismissed professionals were corrupt ANC deployees. He reiterated his view that the ANC compromised black talent and that it was painful for him as a concerned black South African to lose talented
black professionals.
Matongo cited the example of former City Power managing director Sicelo Xulu whose five-year contract was not renewed in August 2017 amid
Mashaba’s accusations that he was corrupt.
According to Matongo, Mashaba was purging black professionals due
to pressure from the EFF, whose 30 councillors he depends on to govern the municipality.
Matongo said Joburg metro police chief David Tembe was appointed despite not being the top candidate.
The EFF’s Joburg regional chairperson and councillor Musa Novela dismissed the ANC’s accusations as “propaganda, nonsense, pure rubbish and cheap
politicking”. The EFF, according to Novela, is always advocating for
black professionals.