Tshwane city manager vows to finish what he started after court overturns suspension

Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler says he is eager to return to work after the Pretoria high court declared his suspension unlawful and ordered his immediate reinstatement, bringing an end to a political and legal battle that has gripped the capital’s administration for weeks.

This comes after acting judge Karin Pillay ruled on July 31 that the Tshwane council acted unlawfully when it suspended Mettler earlier this month, setting aside the council resolution and ordering that he be reinstated immediately.

The court also interdicted the city from maintaining an acting city manager in his place.

Reacting to the judgment, Mettler described the past three weeks as one of the most difficult periods of his career.

“It is the most difficult thing to sit at home knowing that you belong at work. This past three weeks was an experience that no competent and willing and able city manager must go through when you know that there is no reason for you to be at home, and that the reason you are at home is that the majority of council has made a wrong decision,” he said.

Mettler thanked supporters who had stood by him throughout the ordeal and said he was looking forward to resuming his duties.

“I am grateful for this judgment. I am thankful that the good Lord has walked this path with me and that so many people across the country, colleagues from all over, family members and friends, have called and pledged their support to me during this time. I look forward to going back. I want to take this council to the end of its term,” he said.

The city manager said he remained committed to completing the work already under way in the metro.

“I want to continue the work that we have started. I want to complete it. Tshwane is a reasonably well-run metro. We have achieved significant milestones during this past period and that is across the board and that must be concluded. I am thankful that I can be back and I will do my best for the city, for its residents, for my colleagues and to the staff of the city. We owe our best to the city. We must continue and we must continue to do better,” he said.

The judgment stems from a special council sitting on July 9 where councillors voted on whether Mettler should be placed on a three-month precautionary suspension pending investigations into allegations of misconduct.

Council speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana on that day announced a final tally of 92 votes in favour of suspension and 82 against.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) alleged that the outcome was manipulated after Ndzwanana unilaterally deducted 13 votes cast by DA and FF Plus councillors on the basis that they had been listed as being on leave.

The DA argued that had those votes been counted, the motion to suspend Mettler would have failed.

Together with trade union Solidarity, the DA launched an urgent application in the Pretoria high court, contending that the speaker had no authority to disregard validly cast votes and warning that such actions threatened the integrity of municipal governance.

This case was about preventing the capture of Tshwane’s administration and defending institutions that belong to the people of the capital, not the politicians who temporarily occupy public office. The court’s decision has confirmed that there are consequences when the law is ignored

—  Cilliers Brink, former executive mayor

The party further argued that the timing of the suspension, at the start of the new municipal financial year, was aimed at installing an acting city manager, gaining control over the city’s budget and facilitating controversial procurement decisions.

Among the concerns raised was a tender linked to the Pretoria Show Grounds project which Mettler had reportedly blocked due to alleged procedural irregularities.

Ndzwanana opposed the application, arguing that councillors had not been disenfranchised and that he was empowered to adjust vote tallies under council rules.

The city’s legal team also argued that the matter was not urgent and that internal remedies should have been exhausted before approaching the courts.

Pillay ultimately rejected those arguments, finding that the speaker lacked the authority to alter or subtract validly cast votes.

DA Tshwane mayoral candidate and former executive mayor Cilliers Brink welcomed the ruling describing it as a victory for lawful governance.

“The judgment is a victory not only for the DA but also for the rule of law, good governance and the residents of Tshwane. The court has restored the lawful administration of the city by ordering Johann Mettler’s return to work as city manager,” Brink said in a statement.

Brink said the ruling reaffirmed that political majorities could not ignore legal processes.

“By setting aside the unlawful decisions of the ANC-EFF-ActionSA coalition to suspend Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler, the court has reaffirmed that political majorities cannot ignore the law, manipulate council processes or use municipal institutions to protect politically connected individuals,” said Brink.

Brink further alleged that the suspension was part of a broader attempt to gain control of the city’s finances.

“The aim was to install an acting city manager at the start of the municipal financial year, gain control over the city’s budget and open the door to looting,” said Brink.

According to Brink, the court case was ultimately about preventing the capture of Tshwane’s administration.

“This case was about preventing the capture of Tshwane’s administration and defending institutions that belong to the people of the capital, not the politicians who temporarily occupy public office. The court’s decision has confirmed that there are consequences when the law is ignored,” he said.

Brink also used the judgment to draw a contrast ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

“The judgment also demonstrates the vital role of a strong opposition. Without executive power, we investigated, exposed and challenged unlawful conduct and ultimately defeated it through the courts. If we can protect the people of Tshwane from the opposition benches, imagine what we can achieve with an outright mandate to govern,” he said.

Brink said the 2026 local government elections will give residents a clear choice: a coalition that treats public institutions as political tools or a DA government committed to clean governance, accountability and the rule of law.

“Today’s judgment shows that the fight against state capture in Tshwane can be won and under a DA government, it will be,” he said.

ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont said the party welcomes the High Court judgment interdicting the suspension.

“The attempts by the DA and FF Plus to portray this matter as a political victory are shallow. The Court has merely corrected the consequences of the Speaker’s ruling in relation to councillors who chose to absent themselves from the work they are elected and paid to perform by attending Council meetings and voting on behalf of their constituents,” said Beaumont

“Accordingly, while ActionSA welcomes the judgment, it should never have been necessary in the first place. The parties that created this crisis should not claim this outcome as anything more than the correction of a problem of their own making. ActionSA is pleased that the work of turning around the City of Tshwane will continue with Mr Mettler at the helm of the administration,” said Beaumont.