DA member of the council in the Free State's only metro, Hardie Viviers, lambasted the metro’s leadership for allegedly stalling the release of a report following the investigations by two senior counsels, senior advocate Tebogo Manye and advocate Johann Nel. SCs Manye and Nel were given only a month to probe the suspended Tankiso Mea’s conduct after the council in March 2021 announced the two SCs were appointed to lead the investigations into the latter’s conduct. Viviers says the SCs had until 11 am on 11 July 2021 to finalise their report.

“Firstly, the report must give a clear indication if the alleged act of misconduct [and] maladministration have been substantiated - that is the first hurdle. Then, let’s assume that it goes the direct way - as we as the DA are still quite adamant that it will go that way - then of course the report would also suggest that the disciplinary steps against the suspended municipal manager must follow,” he adds.

The metro is yet to comment.

He says the stalling of the report would have bad repercussions for the metro's financial status because the metro would continue to pay Mea and the current acting MM for the same position.

“That’s why I am making a remark that maybe one of the reasons [for stalling the report] would have a great cost to ratepayers. At this point [they must] make up their minds where they want to redeploy him (Mea). At the end of the day, there is no accountability for the administrative head of the Mangaung Metro,” Viviers further adds.

Previously the DA, which proposed an investigation into Mea’s conduct, said Mea utterly failed the residents of Mangaung in his capacity as the head of administration of the municipality.

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