PRETORIA, August (ANA) - Embattled Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga on Thursday told the council that he was proud of his two-year track record at the helm of South Africa's capital city.
"The DA-led multi-party administration was elected into office two years ago to carry the mandate of combatting corruption, ensuring clean governance and better service delivery to the residents of Tshwane," he said.
"It has been a tough road but today I stand proud when I say, this administration has indeed brought significant change to make Tshwane livable," said Msimanga despite interruptions from opposition benches.
"When we came in, we set out to provide a stable, reliable, decisive and progressive political and administrative leadership. Together with the support of our coalition partners, we were able to save a sinking ship. Despite the current political developments, we remain undeterred in rooting our corruption and delivering better services as per our electoral promise."
Msimanga said the track-record of the DA-led administration "shows how hard we have worked to get Tshwane back on track".
Msimanga said his administration worked tirelessly to combat corruption and maladministration, and to deliver better services to residents.
"To date, we have been able to stabilise the City of Tshwane’s finances which was on the brink of bankruptcy by strengthening controls over supply chain processes, slashing unauthorised and unnecessary expenditure and extricating the City from unlawful and expensive contracts which benefited the politically-connected which the ANC administration actively sought to cover-up," said Msimanga.
"This is with particular respect to the biggest single item of ANC corruption in local government history- the PEU Smart Meter contract valued in excess of R2 billion. Other contracts entered into by the ANC administration that the Msimanga administration is challenging include the West Capital Project, the Moipone Fleet Contract and the Broadband Contract valued at several billions of rand."
Members of the African National Congress (ANC) kept interrupting Msimanga during his report.
"We will give you 10 minutes to deliver that bye-bye speech, outgoing mayor," shouted one councillor.
Msimanga is expected to fight for his job on Thursday as opposition parties bring motions of no confidence in him.
The Economic Freedom Fighters' motion of no confidence in Tshwane Mayor Solly Msimanga was earlier dismissed by the Speaker Rachel Mathebe, who said: "It did not follow the rules. My ruling on the matter is final. If you don't agree, you know what to do."
Msimanga, a member of the Democratic Alliance (DA), has incurred the wrath of the Julius Malema-led Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a coalition partner, and the ANC who has accused him of presiding over corruption and maladministration.
Outside council chambers, DA leader Mmusi Maimane was addressing a crowd of supporters, pledging support for Msimanga.
On another side, EFF councillors were singing and dancing with some members of the ANC.
- African News Agency (ANA)
