The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has called on the City of Tshwane to urgently table the Public Protector’s report before Council and to take action against City Manager Johann Mettler.
In a media statement issued on 19 April 2026, the EFF said the Public Protector released a report to the City on 31 March 2026 following an investigation into the appointment of Mr Moshema Mosia as Chief of Emergency Services. It says the complaint was submitted to the Public Protector in October 2023.
According to the EFF, the report exposes serious failures at the highest level of the City’s administration, particularly implicating the City Manager, Mr Johann Mettler, who, as chairperson of the selection panel, presided over a flawed and irregular recruitment process.
The party said the Public Protector found that Mettler failed to ensure compliance with mandatory recruitment regulations, including the verification of qualifications, reference checks, and criminal vetting prior to interviews. “These failures constitute maladministration and improper conduct, and fundamentally undermine the principles of transparency, fairness, and accountability in public administration,” the EFF statement reads.
The EFF said the report states that “consequence management must follow” and that the City must take decisive action against those responsible, including the City Manager, and report back on steps taken. The party warned that any attempt to suppress or selectively present the report would amount to a direct attack on accountability and democratic oversight.
The EFF demanded that the full Public Protector report be tabled before Council immediately, that a transparent process of accountability and consequence management be instituted against the City Manager and all implicated officials, and that measures be implemented to prevent similar irregularities. “The EFF in Gauteng has consistently raised concerns regarding irregularities in appointments within the City of Tshwane, and this report vindicates our long-standing position.” the statement said.
In response, the Tshwane Mayoral Spokesperson, Samkelo Mgobozi, said, “The City of Tshwane notes the release of the Public Protector’s report into the appointment of the Chief of Emergency Services, a Section 56 appointment, and acknowledges its findings. The City said the administration is currently studying the report in detail to fully understand its implications. The necessary administrative and governance steps to give effect to the remedial actions prescribed by the Public Protector will be undertaken once this process has been concluded, including the tabling of the report before Council within the prescribed timeframe,” he said.
He added that the City remains committed to upholding the highest standards of governance, transparency, and administrative integrity, and will act in accordance with the law and its institutional responsibilities.
