By Thapelo Molefe
The DA in Tshwane has accused mayor Nasiphi Moya of shielding her deputy, Eugene Modise, over a R23 million municipal debt while residents are being warned of possible water restrictions due to the City’s crumbling infrastructure.
The debt relates to a property formerly occupied by the Morula Sun in Mabopane, owned by the North West Housing Corporation but leased to Mzansi Resorts, a company belonging to Modise, who also serves as the Member of the Mayoral Committee for Finance.
According to the DA, the company owes the City R23 million in arrear property rates and water tariffs.
“In yesterday’s meeting of the Tshwane municipal council, I confronted Mayor Moya about the R23 million owed to the City on a property leased by Mzansi Resorts, a company that belongs to her ANC deputy mayor Eugene Bonzo Modise,” said DA caucus leader in Tshwane Cilliers Brink.
“Moya promptly left the council chamber during my speech, only returning when the meeting has moved on to another item. She also refuses to answer media queries on the issue.”
The party added it will now submit a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request to determine whether there is a block on Modise’s account.
“If the Mayor refuses to answer in Council, we will use the law to force an answer out of her. This information will be hand delivered to the Auditor General, as justice must be served. Politicians in Tshwane cannot be held to a different standard than those who they serve.”
Turning to Tshwane’s water crisis, the DA said the City’s losses had reached crisis levels.
“Reports indicate that vast areas of the City could run dry within a month or two, a direct result of the City’s non-revenue water loss, which has skyrocketed to an indefensible 39%. This is not merely a statistic; it represents billions of liters of precious water lost daily due to thousands of unrepaired leaks and a crumbling pipe network,” the Party said.
It added that the problem was not the lack of water, but a catastrophic failure of management and maintenance.
“Instead of threatening residents with restrictions, the real solution lies in launching an aggressive, City-wide leak repair campaign. The residents of Tshwane cannot and should not pay the price for this failure.”
The DA concluded that while Moya has “eagerly” joined Tshwane ya Tima teams to cut off power to users who do not pay their municipal bills, she has not acted on arrears linked to her deputy’s company.
“The DA will not rest until every rand of the arrears owed to the City by Modise and his company is paid. ANC cadres should not be exempt from paying their municipal bills.”
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