RAPULA MOATSHE
The EFF in Tshwane has fired back at the DA's assertion that the former governance and support officer (GSO) Ashraf Adam resigned after the EFF's political attacks against him.
DA caucus leader Cilliers Brink expressed concern about the circumstances leading to Adam’s resignation after his appointment two years ago.
He said the current development could lead to the ANC, with support from ActionSA and the EFF, resuming a cadre deployment programme, which is likely to see more senior officials facing pressure to leave.
Adam’s unexpected departure was captured in council reports tabled during Thursday's council meeting, which proposed the appointment of an acting GSO and the advertising of a vacant position.
Brink said: “Included in the reports are allegations against Adam for failing to disclose the facts behind a mutual separation agreement with one of his former employers in 2011. The problem with the allegations is that the municipal council will never be able to test their veracity, and to determine whether in fact Adam’s conduct justifies disciplinary action.”
He suggested that although the exact reasons behind Adam's departure are unclear, it is possible that the EFF's political attacks against him played a role in his decision to leave.
“He has been in the cross hairs of the EFF since last year, when the party of VBS looters demanded that Adam be fired based on allegations of bullying. These allegations were never substantiated, and no report on Adam’s alleged misconduct was ever brought to Tshwane’s council for investigation,” Brink said.
EFF Tshwane regional secretary, Tshegofatso Mashabela, also Health MMC, shot down Brink’s claims, saying they were unfounded.
She said Adam’s resignation was “a matter of integrity, not political maneuvering by the EFF”.
“His failure to disclose prior disciplinary issues with a former employer is a significant concern that warranted scrutiny. Instead of facing these allegations head-on, he chose to resign—an action that raises questions about his willingness to be transparent and accountable,” she said.
EFF regional leader Obakeng Ramabodu said the baseless accusations against his party showed Brink’s desperate attempts to “deflect responsibility for his administration's failures”.
He said Brink's tirade against the EFF was nothing more than an attempt to shift the spotlight away from the Auditor General's damning findings about the city’s lack of leadership and direction.
In the past, the EFF targeted city manager Johann Mettler with a series of accusations, including a recent claim that he leaked confidential information to Brink.
However, Brink has rejected the claim of leaked information to him, saying it was devoid of any proof.