Please find attached English and Afrikaans soundbites from Cilliers Brink, MP
In a stunning revelation of his lack of understanding of his obligations and role as the Municipal Demarcation Board Chairman, and in response to the DA statement issued yesterday calling for his immediate resignation, Thabo Manyoni claims the ‘regulations are silent’ on his ongoing political campaign to be the ANC’s Free State Chairperson.
This is not only false, it exposes his conflicted position and renders his continued stay as chair of the MDB completely untenable.
Manyoni’s obstinance is hardly surprising when one considers that his appointing authority, President Cyril Ramaphosa, has confirmed under oath that he intends to defy the Zondo Commission’s finding that the ANC’s cadre deployment is unconstitutional and illegal. Manyoni sees himself as an ANC deployee rather than an impartial arbiter of an independent statutory body.
In addition to violating the impartiality of the MDB as stipulated under the Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act, 1998 (hereinafter referred to as the Act), Manyoni is in breach of section 12 of the Act which prescribes how members of the MDB Board should conduct themselves.
Section 12(1)(e) of the Act prescribes that a member of the Board “…may not act in any other way that compromises the credibility, impartiality, independence or integrity of the Board.”. The Act further states that a member of the Board who contravenes or fails to comply with the aforementioned provision is “guilty of misconduct”.
Manyoni’s decision to run for political office in the ANC while moonlighting as the MDB Chairman is clearly compromising the credibility, impartiality, independence, integrity of the MDB. Having contravened this provision, and by definition guilty of misconduct, Manyoni should step down with immediate effect.
Manyoni’s statement to the effect that, ‘…if I’m fortunate enough to win I’d have to resign’ confirms the DA’s assertion yesterday that he wants to use his MDB chairmanship as a fall back plan should his bid to be the head of the ANC in the Free State fail. To expect taxpayers to keep funding this blatant violation of the law is unethical and violates the foundations of our constitutional democracy.