DA calls for probe into Tshwane councillor over leaked recording
· Citizen
More allegations of corruption have surfaced in Tshwane after leaked WhatsApp messages from a member of the council admit to allegedly accepting money for his party and pushing for a contract for the donor.
DA chief whip Dana Wannenburg said the party has formally written to the speaker of the council and the city manager to request an investigation into Defenders of the People (DOP) councillor Rufus Mphahlele.
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Leaked recording raises concerns as DA calls for probe
This is after a leaked voice recording of him allegedly says that a businessman who donated over R300 000 to his party was later assisted in securing a city contract.
Mphahlele, who serves as chair of the Section 79 housing committee, further claimed to have fought for the awarding of the contract, with continued support expected in return.
Wannenburg said if verified, these admissions point to a deeply troubling abuse of public office, where municipal contracts are treated as political currency rather than instruments of service delivery.
“This latest revelation points to a broader pattern of criminality taking hold in the city. Testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has already implicated ActionSA and the EFF in alleged attempts to influence tender processes,” Wannenburg said.
“Finance MMC and deputy mayor Eugene Modise has also been linked to multiple Tshwane contracts, including water tankering, which ballooned to R777 million in 2024-25 under his watch,” he added.
“Taken together, these developments paint a troubling picture that the DA was not removed from government in Tshwane in the interests of residents, but to make way for a coalition of corruption that puts patronage ahead of service delivery.”
DA Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink, who also listened to the leaked WhatsApp message said: “We aren’t sure which contract it was, but the DA would investigate it. If I have to bet, I would say it would be another basket case project falling apart where services aren’t delivered, are overrun and overpriced.”
The DA has also confirmed that its submission was acknowledged at the Madlanga commission last week.
ANC responds
However, ANC Tshwane caucus leader Joel Masilela ka Mahlangu clapped back and said the Madlanga commission was brought to fruition by the head of state and the president of the ANC, Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The ANC in each and every conference has been making calls on all its members both inside and outside of government to emulate the true character of the ANC as a caring political party and liberation movement,” he added.
Masilela ka Mahlangu said the revelations at the Madlanga commission are not anything that may shock or scare the ANC.
“The congress movement has been the only political party that has always and will not stop at exposing corruption where it rears its ugly head.
“It will not matter at which level it is found, internally and even with civil society, the elimination of corruption in society will help us as a people to focus on the real business to transform sectors of the economy which the DA and FF Plus are refusing to give in, for the economy of this country to reflect its demographics.”
Council processes and legal limits
Tshwane council speaker spokesperson Mzwandile Khathi said the speaker, Mncedi Ndzwanana, has not yet received any formal written request from the DA requesting an investigation into Mphahlele.
“Should such correspondence be received, it will be processed in accordance with the applicable legislative frameworks governing council matters and the code of conduct for councillors,” he said.
Khati added that it was important to clarify that, in terms of the Municipal Finance Management Act, councillors are prohibited from participating in tender adjudication, procurement negotiations, or any administrative processes related to the awarding of municipal tenders.
“The speaker is also not privy to information relating to alleged donations made to political parties or individuals, unless such matters are formally declared through prescribed legal or ethical disclosure processes,” he said.