Tshwane City Manager Johann Mettler has been suspended following a council vote on a complaint lodged by the EFF. The suspension occurred after a closed vote during a council meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2026. City of Tshwane Mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya stated that the Council considered Mettler's representations before resolving to place him on precautionary suspension with full pay, pending an independent investigation. Mettler is expected to challenge his suspension in court. DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink condemned the suspension, calling it an action by a "coalition of corruption" and claiming the report was baseless. Brink also alleged that the council Speaker arbitrarily deducted 13 votes from those opposing an amendment, citing that the councillors were on leave, and stated there is no legal basis to deny a democratically elected councillor their right to vote. Meanwhile, suspended Chief Financial Officer Gareth Mnisi will face disciplinary proceedings after the Council considered a final forensic investigation report into misconduct allegations. Mayor Moya assured residents that the city's administration remains stable and focused on service delivery, financial stability, infrastructure investment, and improving quality of life.
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The Democratic Alliance DA in Tshwane is challenging the disciplinary action taken against deputy mayor and MMC for finance Eugene Modise, calling it a "slap on the wrist." Modise was fined two months' salary after a forensic report found he breached the councillor's code of conduct by benefiting from a security company, Triotic Protection Services, contracted to the city. DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink has approached the courts, arguing that the penalty is irrational and undermines constitutional accountability. Brink stated that the DA is asking the court to refer the issue back to the Tshwane council for a proper decision and will argue for a penalty commensurate with the breach. He warned that a lenient punishment could encourage other politicians to engage in similar conduct. Modise, however, told forensic investigators that he sold his shares in Triotic to an employee via an installment sale agreement and resigned from the company upon becoming a councillor, a claim he says was verified by investigators. He also stated that his only involvement was purchasing property for Triotic in 2010 and that there was no financial benefit to him from that transaction. The Freedom Front Plus FF+ Tshwane caucus leader, Grandi Theunissen, has also requested intervention from the Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs and infrastructure development, believing the punitive action does not meet municipal legislation requirements.
The Democratic Alliance DA in the City of Ekurhuleni is advocating for an extensive investigation into alleged corruption within the municipality, following the arrest of former city manager Imogen Mashazi and three other senior officials. Mashazi appeared in Germiston Magistrate's Court on Thursday, facing corruption-related charges. She was accompanied by suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, suspended head of legal services Kemi Behari, and suspended head of human resources Linda Gxasheka. DA mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane stated that a network of corruption in Ekurhuleni needs to be uncovered, emphasizing that all officials with credible evidence of wrongdoing should be thoroughly investigated. Rasilingwane attributed the governance crisis to systemic problems developed over many years under ANC-led administrations, suggesting that Mashazi's case is part of a broader culture of poor governance. The DA believes the focus should be on dismantling the entire system that enabled corruption. Reports have also surfaced regarding Mashazi's opulent lifestyle, including a controversial trip to London and residence in a R60 million house. Rasilingwane stressed that assets acquired through unlawful conduct should be recovered, and expressed hope that these developments will be a turning point for accountability and rebuilding public trust among frustrated residents.
Portia Anyamba, a 59-year-old former South African Air Force brigadier-general, has been sentenced by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee to six months' imprisonment, followed by two years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $9,500 fine. She pleaded guilty to acting as an agent of South Africa and making false statements in her security clearance application. An investigation by the FBI and the US Department of Energy Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence revealed Anyamba was operating in the US under South Africa's direction and control. While working as a program management operational specialist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy facility, Anyamba regularly communicated with an intelligence officer from South Africa's State Security Agency. She met with this individual and another South African affiliate in Knoxville, Tennessee, and was later intercepted by FBI personnel with a laptop prior to another planned meeting. During her application for a US government security clearance, which would have granted her access to classified information, Anyamba falsely stated she had no contact with foreign nationals or representatives of a foreign government in the past seven years. She also instructed her references not to mention anything about the embassy due to sensitivity regarding foreign connections. Terence G Reilly, special agent in charge of the FBI Nashville field office, stated that Anyamba knowi