Herman Mashaba

South African main opposition party Democratic Alliance newly elected Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba gives an interview to Agence France-Presse on September 7, 2016 at his office in Johannesburg, South Africa. – For the first time since apartheid, the city’s mayor is not from the African National Congress (ANC), but instead from the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) opposition party. And Herman Mashaba, a millionaire who made his fortune in black hair products, has set himself the ambitious goal of transforming South Africa’s economic capital. (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP)

Mayor Mashaba accuses Tony Leon of seeking R300m tender from City

The Mayor informed federal executive members about this alleged “deal”.

Herman Mashaba

South African main opposition party Democratic Alliance newly elected Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba gives an interview to Agence France-Presse on September 7, 2016 at his office in Johannesburg, South Africa. – For the first time since apartheid, the city’s mayor is not from the African National Congress (ANC), but instead from the pro-business Democratic Alliance (DA) opposition party. And Herman Mashaba, a millionaire who made his fortune in black hair products, has set himself the ambitious goal of transforming South Africa’s economic capital. (Photo by GIANLUIGI GUERCIA / AFP)

Johannesburg Mayor, Herman Mashaba, has announced that the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) former leader, Tony Leon, failed to try and solicit business from the City, and these claims have sparked uproar within the party.

Mashaba has accused Leon of unsuccessfully trying to solicit business worth R300 million from the City

During the DA federal executive meeting on Friday, which was set in place to discuss a draft report and recommendations for the party’s organisational review panel, which is scheduled to oversee DA’s policies, systems, leadership and its “poor performance” in the recent general elections.

Mashaba accused Leon of being “conflicted” with the work of their proposed review panel, as the former leader unsuccessfully tried to solicit business from Mashaba, according to the City Press.

The Mayor is reported to have informed federal executive members, that Leon was seeking business worth R300 million in the City of Johannesburg, specifically for a client under his company.

Leon is accused of sending the Mayor’s office communication insinuating that the deal was “solid”

Mashaba further alleges that he told the former leader that he had “no say” in who received business from the City, and Leon is further accused of sending the Mayor’s office communication suggesting that the “request” was successful, and tried to carry out the “deal” despite it not being approved by the City.

The Mayor further told federal executive members that Leon seemed “uninterested” in Mashaba’s inputs, during a consultation they had before, to pen the review panel report, and alleges it stems from the Mayor’s office not approving the “deal” Leon had allegedly tried to set in motion.

Leon has rejected these claims vigourously

Leon is recorded to have rejected these claims and also questioned why the Mayor waited until the report was complete, before expressing his concerns.

“I hardly need to point out that who the City of Johannesburg decides to contract with is entirely the business of the City following all lawful processes. It is not the business of myself, or the company I chair, as one of our roles is to manage relationships between our private sector clients and those in the public sector, and we do so in an entirely open and transparent fashion”.

Tony Leon

The former leader is reported to have partnered up with Ryan Coetzee, who served as the DA’s chief strategist, and Capitec founder, Michiel le Roux, and authored the review panel report, that called for “leadership refresh”.

DA leader, Mmusi Maimane had commissioned the review panel report, after the dismal performance in the general elections, and as the report requests “leadership refresh”, it serves as a plea to have Maimane removed from his current position.