LEBOGANG SEALE
The DA has called a decision by the City of Joburg to summon two of its councillors to a disciplinary hearing a “sinister attempt to curb freedom of speech”.
The two councillors, Tsepo Mhlongo and Tony Molefe, have been called before the council’s ethics committee “for breaching the council’s rules” after they exposed alleged corruption by a Soweto ward councillor.
The hearing is set to be held on Monday.
Diepkloof ward 28 councillor Thabo Ramadikela-Nkhasi allegedly pocketed R15 000 by selling an empty stand to a church in 2008.
The sale was confirmed by Bishop Joseph Radebe of the Togetherness As One Church of Christ.
“We paid him because this is the man we know so much and is our neighbour,” Radebe said then, adding that the money was later returned to the church.
Ramakikela-Nkhasi claimed he was only the middleman, who acted between the church and the stand owner. He told The Star he had merely tried to facilitate the deal as the land was used as an illegal dumping site.
The stand is near Immaculata High School in Diepkloof Zone 2.
At the time of the revelations, the council said Ramadikela-Nkhasi could face serious charges.
“Such a serious and potentially criminal allegation has to be investigated and dealt with through the council’s constituted ethics committee,” City of Joburg spokesman Nthatise Modingoane said.
The ANC in Gauteng defended Ramadikela-Nkhasi, dismissing the accusations as baseless and lashed out at the DA for misconstruing the facts for propaganda purposes.
“It is a sinister and unconstitutional attempt by the council to curb freedom of speech,” said Janet Semple, the DA’s provincial leader, about the proposed disciplinary hearing.
“They had documents to back up their statement… and were doing their duty in bringing the this issue to public attention.”
Semple added that the DA would defend its councillors’ rights as it would be a “bad precedent if they are punished for exposing alleged corruption”.
Modingoane defended the council’s decision.
“All councillors are regulated by a code of conduct which requires them, among other things, to abide and follow prescribed rules and procedures.”