Madibeng Municipality mayor Douglas Maimane brought an application in the High Court to set aside a report by the disciplinary board and the establishment of a committee to investigate allegations of misconduct against him.

Douglas Maimane

According to the application, the Madibeng Council in March adopted a resolution to establish an Ad-Hoc committee to investigate allegations of misconduct against Maimane. The allegations stem from the suspension of Municipal Manager Quiet Kgatla in March. Maimane took special leave shortly before the municipal manager’s suspension. During his absence, the municipal manager was suspended, and a preliminary investigation report was adopted. The report raises allegations about Maimane’s interference with the investigation into the municipal manager.
In his application to the High Court, Maimane argues that the preliminary report was inconclusive and that the adoption of the report adversely affected his rights as it was characterised by serious procedural and substantive irregularities in that he was not given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.
Maimane argues that Madibeng appointed a five-member panel to investigate his conduct based on the preliminary report of the disciplinary board and that the allegations were not raised with him, nor was he given the chance to reply to the allegations.
The purpose of his application to the High Court is to review and set aside Madibeng’s decision to establish a committee supposed to investigate allegations of misconduct.
In a letter to Maimane in April, the Ad-Hoc committee states that allegations were made that Maimane intimidated or threatened members of the disciplinary board. He allegedly told the chairperson of the disciplinary board to withdraw the item relating to the allegations against the municipal manager from the agenda of the council.