Newly appointed City of Tshwane municipal manager Johann Mettler wants to instill a culture of performance and excellence.
The former Nelson Mandela Bay city manager’s appointment was approved during a council meeting on Monday, where the DA-led coalition government in Tshwane outnumbered parties opposed to Mettler’s appointment.
Tshwane has been without a permanent city manager for three years, which Mettler said had bred a culture of nondelivery of services.
Speaking to Sowetan on Tuesday, Mettler said it was less than ideal for senior posts not to be filled.
“It is always less than ideal for such a senior post not to be filled. There’s been no administrative leadership in the organisation, which gave rise to silos for people doing things meant to be done.
“No one is insisting on excellence in service delivery gives rise to a culture of nondelivery and it’s that culture now that one has to address.
“When I come in, I have to establish a culture of performance and excellence. It will require myself and those around me to be uncompromising in executing their tasks,” Mettler said.
A seasoned legal guru who led one of the Western Cape’s best-run municipalities for nearly four years, Mettler holds a law master’s graduate from the University of the Western Cape and Sweden’s Lund University.
He also worked as the municipal manager in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape from 2016 when he came in as part of a national intervention by former cooperative governance minister Pravin Gordhan – which also saw Danny Jordaan appointed as mayor.
Mettler was later appointed on a permanent basis by a DA-led coalition government following the 2016 local government elections.
Following his suspension in 2019 by an UDM-led coalition government under former Bay mayor Mongameli Bobani, Mettler received a R2.6m golden handshake before emerging as an administrator in the embattled Lekwa municipality in Mpumalanga.
On his latest appointment, Mettler said they still needed to complete all the paperwork and finalise a starting date.
In Lekwa, he has worked on improving the municipality’s revenue collection from 55% to 75%.
On the task at hand, Mettler said the areas of focus had been identified by Tshwane when the municipality adopted its Integrated Development Plan and budget.
“The municipality has listed 10 priorities and the city’s financials are on top of the list. I’ve seen the recent debt collection, credit control, and that’s certainly top of the list. Basic infrastructure that’s failing and service delivery standards have to be improved in that regard.
"The organisation itself must be able to operate at an optimum level and that will also be a priority to appoint competent, experienced leaders in the municipality to drive all of those processes.”
Mettler said despite opposition to his appointment and having previously worked in a coalition-run municipality, there was no reluctance to taking up the new role.
“Politicians have a democratic right to disagree on any reason. It’s not for me to comment on their reasons.
“My job is not to look at who was or against the appointment. It’s immaterial. I’m there to be a city manager for all, I have to work with the political parties, it’s part of my job to be available and that’s what I'm going to do as long as there is respect.”
nkosin@sowetan.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.