Latest news with #JohannMettler
IOL News
10-07-2025
- IOL News
Tshwane officials face disciplinary action over R7 million transformer theft
City Manager Johann Mettler has voiced strong backing for the ongoing investigation into municipal officials accused of stealing a transformer, who are currently facing internal disciplinary action. Image: File Three City of Tshwane officials implicated in the theft of a R7 million transformer from the Claudius Substation in Laudium are currently facing internal disciplinary hearings, which could result in their dismissal if found guilty. Kleinbooy Mahlangu, 45, Thomas Baloi, 41, and Daniel Kubayi, 50, were arrested by the SAPS following a tip-off and are currently out on bail. Municipal spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said that the accused are also undergoing internal disciplinary processes. 'If found guilty, they could be dismissed,' he said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading City Manager Johann Mettler expressed strong support for the ongoing investigation, commending law enforcement agencies for their efforts. 'I am satisfied with the progress made so far and commend the law enforcement agencies for their efforts. I urge the SAPS to break the back of these criminal syndicates infiltrating the Electricity and Energy Department and other structures of the municipality,' he said. He noted that the alleged criminal behaviour of employees undermines the efficiency of critical infrastructure and compromises service delivery to residents. Mashigo reiterated the city's zero-tolerance stance on corruption and infrastructure theft, saying it will continue to work closely with law enforcement to ensure accountability and justice. The three men, who appeared at the Atteridgeville Magistrate's Court, are facing charges of theft of essential infrastructure. During the alleged incident, a joint operation by Tshwane metro police and SAPS, prompted by a tip-off, found city-branded vehicles, cranes, and trucks at the scene. Although the officials initially fled, they were later arrested on July 1, 2025, at their workplaces after warrants were issued. Mashigo said the city will continue to observe developments in the justice system regarding this case while allowing investigations to proceed without interference.
IOL News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
DA supports Tshwane municipal manager amid ANC's challenge
Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler has faced criticism from the ANC over his 2022 appointment, which they claim was unlawful. Image: File The political battle over Tshwane municipal manager Johann Mettler's 2022 appointment is set to intensify in the coming weeks, with the DA backing him amid the ANC's continued efforts to have him removed over legality concerns. The ANC plans to mount efforts to remove Mettler by having its councillors request Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana to convene a special council meeting to debate the validity of his appointment. On Friday, ANC regional secretary George Matjila said the party will also push for a council resolution to file a court application seeking a declaratory order to declare Mettler's appointment unlawful and have it set aside. In response, the DA is consulting lawyers to act against such an attempt and has called on Mayor Nasiphi Moya to pronounce her stance on the latest attack to get rid of Mettler. The ANC's attack on Mettler centres on three main grounds, which include his alleged lack of qualifications at the time of appointment in 2022, irregularities in the selection panel's composition, and his failure to acquire the required minimum competency levels within the 18-month period that ended on February 28, 2024. 'Therefore, the appointment of Mr Mettler as the City Manager is null and void and stands to be set aside in a competent court,' Matjila said. Mettler is accused of lacking the requirement of 12 years' experience, with at least five years at a senior management level, as he has only 11 years' experience. Matjila claimed that the selection panel's composition contravened the Municipal Systems Act, as it included four councillors instead of the prescribed maximum of two. DA Tshwane caucus leader Cilliers Brink dismissed the claims, highlighting Mettler's experience as municipal manager in Drakenstein and Nelson Mandela Bay. He added that Mettler was also involved in drafting the White Paper on Local Government in the late 1990s, making him one of the most experienced local government practitioners still working. Brink said Mettler possesses the minimum competencies required by the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) and completed the necessary courses in 2023. He noted that the National Treasury and the Finance Minister have never questioned Mettler's competencies under the MFMA. Regarding the composition of the interview panel, Brink said the panel was in compliance with the regulations.
IOL News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Why DA appoints independent civil servants like Mettler, and why ANC wants him removed?
History might be repeating itself in the City of Tshwane, where Johann Mettler now works as municipal manager, says Cilliers Brink Image: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers One of the reasons that so many municipalities collapse is that so few of them hire competent professionals as municipal managers (MMs). A MM is the chief executive of a municipality. Unlike the mayor, an MM is not meant to be a politician. The skillset of a good MM is different to that of a good mayor. For local government to work, you need both. Each has to stay in their respective lanes, supporting the other, and not competing for political power. A good mayor, and there are far too few of them, too, will soon realise the impossibility of delivering on your election promises without the help of a good MM. That is what makes Johann Mettler such a rare creature. A giant of a man, he speaks little but works hard. You'll find him at the office at 7:00 AM, and often long after the sun has set. He grew up on the Cape Flats during apartheid, qualified as a lawyer, and took his first job in government when South Africa became a democracy. In 1998, he was part of the team that drafted the White Paper on Local Government. He is probably one of the most experienced local government practitioners still working. What makes him truly exceptional is that he wears no party political colours. In a local government sector dominated by recycled politicians, this also makes him highly vulnerable. All the same, Mettler is usually in high demand to fix broken municipalities. He has worked with DA mayors, but he has also been headhunted by ANC ministers. That's what happened in 2015 when he was appointed to lead the national government intervention in Nelson Mandela Bay. The details of that story are told by Chippy Olver in his book 'How to steal a city'. In Olver's otherwise vexing cast of characters, Mettler is one of the good guys. When the ANC lost control in the Bay in 2016, he was rehired as MM by a DA coalition. At the time, the mayor was Athol Trollip, now ActionSA's parliamentary leader. The irony of this will become obvious later. In 2018, Trollip was toppled as mayor when one of his coalition partners switched sides to the ANC. Even though Mettler had been brought to the Bay under an erstwhile ANC mayor, he soon became an immovable object to the irresistible force represented by the new ANC coalition. The Coalition of Corruption, as the DA branded them, spent a fortune of taxpayers' money to get rid of Mettler. And he spent a great deal of his own money to defend himself. But he did get away with his reputation intact, while one of his former persecutors, Mayor Mongameli Bobani, was later implicated in fraud and corruption (Bobani died of Covid-19 before the matter could proceed). History might be repeating itself in the City of Tshwane, where Mettler now works as MM. He got the Tshwane job in September 2022, a few months after the city emerged from a prolonged period of administration under the Gauteng provincial government. Aside from an unstable coalition and what would turn out to be an adverse audit opinion for the year preceding his appointment, Mettler also inherited an enormous ANC-induced operating deficit. This led to the city falling behind on its payments to Eskom. In my own 18-month stint as mayor, Mettler and I worked hard to turn the city around, a job that I have to stress is not yet done. Similar to Athol Trollip in Nelson Mandela Bay, I was turned out of office as mayor in September last year after my coalition partners decided to join an ANC coalition. The irony was that the coalition partner who rebalanced the forces in the ANC's favour is Trollip's new party, ActionSA. In exchange for getting rid of a DA mayor, an ActionSA councillor now gets to wear the mayoral chain. But there is little doubt where the real power lies. As before, the non-political Mettler is seen by the ANC as a threat to whatever they plan to do in Tshwane. In meetings I had with the ANC in my last weeks as mayor, they had made clear to me that they did not want Mettler as MM. They said that they would prefer a Tshwane local as MM. But what I suspect they want is someone who will withdraw the case against five city officials implicated in awarding an irregular tender to a consortium with links to ANC benefactor Edwin Sodi. That project, the upgrade of Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant, was set back years because Sodi's people did not have the qualifications and experience to finish the job. The business interests of ANC deputy mayor Eugene Bonzo Modise and ANC regional secretary George Matjila can fill an article of their own. Let's just say the ANC would prefer an MM in Tshwane who is less concerned about doing things by the book. And so, Matjila is now on record as suggesting that when Mettler was appointed as MM in September 2022, the right processes weren't followed. This is, as far as the DA is concerned, a legal absurdity. If this is the pretext for moving against Mettler, our lawyers will be on call. In the meantime, what has happened to the likes of Mettler is a major chapter in the story of the decline of South African towns and cities. Let's make sure that this time the good guys win. Cilliers Brink is the DA Tshwane Caucus Leader
IOL News
03-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Tshwane's service delivery revolution: New business units for energy and water
Tshwane City Manager Johann Mettler unveils two new business units focused on energy and water services, aimed at boosting service delivery, improving billing transparency, and driving long-term infrastructure investment. Image: Supplied/City of Tshwane Tshwane residents can look forward to faster service delivery, improved billing transparency, and long-term infrastructure investment, thanks to the newly launched business units for energy and electricity, as well as water and sanitation. City Manager Johann Mettler made the announcement during a media briefing at Tshwane House on Thursday, describing the new approach to service delivery as "a turning point in the city's ability to provide efficient, accountable, and future-focused services for all". He explained that in essence the new approach means the City will adopt a centralised operational model, consolidating services into one hub and eliminating the dual model that previously hindered service delivery. 'This groundbreaking approach will improve efficiency in managing electricity water and sanitation operations and the ring-fenced revenue will be redirected towards improving and conducting regular maintenance of infrastructure to ensure durability, reliability and their lifespan,' Mettler said. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading He said the implementation of the business units is in keeping with National Treasury's requirements for transitioning electricity, water, and sanitation services into ring-fenced business units, in full compliance with the Municipal Financial Management Act and its regulations, which had a deadline of July 1. 'This landmark achievement makes a significant step in financial sustainability, improved governance and enhanced service delivery for residents and businesses within Tshwane,' he said. He said that without implementing these reforms, Tshwane risked losing access to crucial National Treasury grant funding needed to deliver services to communities. 'Our successful implementation of the reform safeguards our access to grant funding which is a vital resource for sustaining and expanding service delivery,' he said. Importantly, he noted that the transformation involves extensive stakeholder consultations, ensuring job security for employees, and incorporating public feedback on tariffs and service standards. 'The newly-established energy and electricity and water and sanitation business units will ensure more reliable services through dedicated operations, ringfenced revenues and, of course, reinvestment in critical infrastructure and maintenance. The approach will increase the lifespan of essential assets while improving the response times and reducing service interruptions,' he said. He reiterated that the two business units are 'a game changer for service delivery as they will improve the quality of lives for the residents'. 'By establishing these business units we are not just meeting National Treasury regulations. We are fundamentally improving how we deliver essential services. A smooth transition demonstrates our commitment to both good governance and improving the quality of life of our residents,' Mettler said.
The Citizen
16-06-2025
- The Citizen
City manager condemns attacks on metro staff
Tshwane's City Manager, Johann Mettler, has recently condemned a spate of attacks on municipal workers in different regions in recent weeks. The most recent attack came on June 13, when municipal employees stationed at the Block X Library in Jukulyn, Soshanguve, were held at gunpoint along with on-site security personnel. The criminals made off with their personal belongings, including mobile phones and money. In an earlier attack on June 6, a municipal crane truck operated by the Parks Section was hijacked in Ga-Rankuwa. The truck, a Nissan UD long base, was forcefully taken by unknown assailants, leaving the driver and crew abandoned in a remote field. The crew received assistance and has opened a case with the police. Mettler described the acts as deplorable and a direct threat to service delivery, and undermines the morale of staff, which jeopardises public assets critical for day-to-day municipal functions. 'These shared physical resources are vital to public service and must be protected as common assets for the benefit of all. I condemn the attacks directed at the city's personnel and vow that those responsible will be hunted down and brought to book,' Mettler said. The staff involved in these attacks have had to undergo trauma counselling as a safety precaution and to support staff recovery. The Block X Library in Jukulyn, Soshanguve, has been temporarily closed. The theft of the crane truck is said to have dealt a significant blow to service delivery efforts, as the vehicle is essential in maintaining parks and infrastructure across the metro. Residents are asked to come forward and report any information they may have to the metro or their local authorities. Metro spokesperson Lindela Mashigo said the attacks indicate a worrying trend, though the metro remains steadfast in its mandate to deliver services. 'This incident highlights a worrying trend of public service tools being targeted, further straining municipal capacity to efficiently serve residents. The safety of employees and the preservation of city assets remain the city's priorities,' he said. 'The city's leadership urges communities to take an active role in protecting municipal property by reporting suspicious behaviour and/or criminal activities against the city's infrastructure. 'The city remains committed to enhancing security and ensuring uninterrupted service delivery. The city appeals to the public for continued vigilance and co-operation. Anyone with information regarding these incidents is encouraged to come forward and assist law enforcement agencies in bringing those responsible to justice,' he said. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to bennittb@ or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram or TikTok At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading! Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App Stay in the know. Download the Caxton Local News Network App here
