Tshwane mayor vows not to be intimidated by ‘false claims’ ahead of elections

Tshwane mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya has rejected what she described as false claims and said she will not be intimidated or distracted from delivering services as the local government elections approach.

Opposition raises finances and corruption allegations

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Tshwane has publicly challenged Moya and the city’s MMC for finance, Eugene Modise, to explain how they plan to close a R2 billion salary gap in the municipal budget.

DA Tshwane finance spokesperson Jacqui Uys said the city’s budget was not genuinely funded and that the R2 billion shortfall in staff cost provision confirmed concerns the party had raised for months.

“The city cannot continue to claim that it has a fully funded budget when billions of rands in known obligations are not adequately provided for,” Uys said.

Uys also warned that under-budgeting for salaries had been raised with National Treasury and described the shortfall as more than an accounting technicality, saying Tshwane’s small businesses had been forced to wait months to be paid for goods and services delivered.

Mayor says she will not be distracted

Moya has faced attacks from both opposition parties and coalition partners. The ANC’s Kgoši Maepa has accused her of corruption relating to renovations at her property. According to the mayor’s office, Moya has not responded further to those allegations and said she would not be intimidated or distracted by attempts to manufacture controversy ahead of the elections.

“She will not be intimidated or distracted by attempts to manufacture controversy around her ahead of the elections.”

Support from ActionSA

ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont said the attacks on Moya stem from her independence as mayor.

“Moya is a victim of her own success. She is the first mayor in a long time to get Tshwane moving forward and that puts a target on her back,” Beaumont said.

What remains at stake

The exchange highlights competing narratives in Tshwane as the city approaches local government elections: opposition concerns over the municipal budget and alleged financial risks, and the mayor’s insistence that she will remain focused on service delivery despite political attacks.