The court fight over Johann Mettler’s suspension has laid bare why the office of Tshwane city manager has become one of the most fiercely contested positions in coalition politics, with court papers revealing that the holder of the post controls virtually every lever that keeps South Africa’s capital functioning.
Buried beneath arguments over council procedures and disputed votes is an affidavit that reads almost like an inventory of power.
Page after page details the authority vested in the city manager, explaining why political battles increasingly end with fights over who occupies the office.
‘Not an ordinary employment post’
According to the city, the office is “not an ordinary employment post”. It is the statutory head of the administration, responsible for translating council decisions into government action.
“The office is the institutional point through which lawful political decisions are translated into administration,” acting city manager Dr Musa Khumalo tells the High Court.
The affidavit then sets out what that means in practice.
The city manager oversees the municipal administration, implements the integrated development plan, manages staff, maintains labour relations and ensures compliance with legislation. As accounting officer, the office is responsible for municipal revenue, expenditure, assets, liabilities, financial reporting and cooperation with the auditor general.
Delegated powers
But the most politically revealing section deals with delegated powers.
The city says an existing sub-delegation signed in 2022 remains operational and gives the city manager authority across virtually every sphere of municipal administration.
Those powers include executing council resolutions, signing official documents, filling vacancies, appointing and dismissing employees, instituting disciplinary proceedings, administering leave and performance systems, approving payments, implementing supply-chain policy, approving tender advertising, settling claims and managing municipal finances.
The breadth of those responsibilities helps explain why the suspension of one official has escalated into one of Tshwane’s biggest political and legal battles.
Continuity of administration
The affidavit itself offers an important clue.
Rather than defending the council meeting that suspended Mettler, the city tells the court its concern is the continuity of administration if leadership changes again.
It warns that replacing the city manager requires the orderly transfer of “systems, records, staff, reporting lines and pending administrative responsibilities”.
The municipality also cautions that there should never be a period during which “two persons purport to issue competing instructions as city manager or accounting officer”.
Fierce battle over the office
Although the papers stop short of identifying political winners and losers, they illustrate why competing political formations have fought so fiercely over the office.
Whoever occupies the position controls the execution of council decisions, the administration of disciplinary processes, procurement systems, staffing decisions and financial authority.
In coalition politics, those powers extend well beyond administration.
They determine how quickly political decisions are implemented and who exercises day-to-day control over the bureaucracy.
The affidavit, therefore, provides the clearest explanation yet of why the battle over Johann Mettler has never been about one official alone.
It is about control of the office through which the political authority of Tshwane’s governing coalition is converted into the daily business of governing the capital.
- The Tshwane city manager position holds extensive authority, overseeing municipal administration, finances, staffing, and implementation of council decisions, making it a highly contested post in coalition politics.
- Court documents revealed the city manager’s powers include executing council resolutions, signing official documents, managing staff appointments and dismissals, handling procurement, and financial management.
- The office is described as the statutory head of administration, critical for ensuring continuity and lawful execution of political decisions into government action.
- The suspension of Johann Mettler sparked a major political and legal battle due to the office’s significant control over Tshwane’s daily governance and administration.
- The conflict highlights the importance of the city manager role in maintaining political control and operational stability within the coalition-led city government.
Buried beneath arguments over council procedures and disputed votes is an affidavit that reads almost like an inventory of power.
Page after page details the authority vested in the city manager, explaining why political battles increasingly end with fights over who occupies the office.
"
But the most politically revealing section deals with delegated powers.
It warns that replacing the city manager requires the orderly transfer of "systems, records, staff, reporting lines and pending administrative responsibilities".
Whoever occupies the position controls the execution of council decisions, the administration of disciplinary processes, procurement systems, staffing decisions and financial authority.
In coalition politics, those powers extend well beyond administration.
It is about control of the office through which the political authority of
