The push to remove city manager Johann Mettler sparks fears of cadre deployment in the City of Tshwane.

Listen to this article 3 min Listen to this article 3 min The ANC wants to remove highly regarded Tshwane city manager Johann Mettler, three years after his appointment.

The party's Tshwane regional secretary, George Matjila, has raised questions about Mettler's appointment. The three issues now raised were not flagged at the time of the appointment.

Mettler is regarded as one of South Africa's most qualified and technocratic city managers: he has an LLM from Lund University in Sweden, an LLB and BProc from the University of the Western Cape, and has worked in local government since 1995.

He has served as an administrator brought in to stabilise dysfunctional municipalities and was city manager of the Drakenstein and Nelson Mandela Bay councils.

"Whatever legal pretext the ANC coalition devises, the point is that the party would prefer one of their own deployed cadres - not an independent professional - in the job of municipal manager," said Cilliers Brink, the DA Tshwane caucus leader and former mayor.

He said Mettler had come under attack in council several times. "The most notable of these attacks happened when it became clear that the city would not drop the case against the Rooiwaal Five,...