Timothy Nast – praag.org

Cosatu calls Nast appointment backward and reactionary

Trade union federation Cosatu has condemned the appointment of a former Democratic Alliance leader to the Gauteng planning commission.

This was “the most reactionary and backward decision ever made in the history of the Gauteng government”, Cosatu Gauteng chairman Phutas Tseki said on Wednesday.

He said the appointment of Timothy Nast — the former mayor of Midvaal — was made without consulting the Congress of SA Trade Unions.

Nast ingratiated himself with the ANC by attacking Afrikaner symbols and schools in Midvaal before he resigned amid allegations of fraud and misconduct. His efforts seem not to have convinced some in the Tripartite Alliance.

“We call upon the Gauteng government, and the premier in particular, to reverse this appointment.”

The premier should urgently convene a meeting of the alliance in Gauteng to discuss this matter, Tseki said.

Nast was appointed chief director of infrastructure planning in the commission on August 1.

The premier defended her decision on Wednesday, saying: “Mr Nast was appointed on the basis of his vast and valuable experience in building a strong public service; a factor that suits the demands and the focus on infrastructure planning in the province.” – Sapa/praag

Flight of DA Midvaal mayor Timothy Nast was expected

The resignation from office by Midvaal Mayor Nast was not unexpected at all.

“It is my considered opinion that Nast had no choice but to resign,” says Mr. Corrie Pypers, FF Plus councillor for Midvaal. Nast, contrary to the portrayal of Midvaal as being an above average performer under his leadership, made fatal mistakes resulting in continuous pressure by the FF Plus and revealed mismanagement in the municipality.

Nast was instrumental in the rezoning of land, belonging to close relatives, adjacent to the R59 freeway. A rezoning application, involving industrial rights, was approved by the Mayoral Committee, under his chairmanship, 10 days before the 2011 municipal elections. The rezoning process was marked by major irregularities and the matter is still under investigation.

Nast was instrumental in the persecution of the Meyerton Golf Club management (council owned land and operated as a joint venture between council and the Golf Club management since its creation during the 80’s) which, inter alia, led to legal costs amounting to tens of thousands of rand for the account of the club and council.

Nast, in a personal vendetta aimed at the club chairperson, Corrie Pypers, not only misappropriated tax money through this action, but duped officials to get involved in this action. Nast and all the councillors and officials involved in this matter should account for these fruitless and wasteful expenses. The cost appropriation principle was handed down in the judgement recently in the Tlokwe-case involving the mayor who refused to vacate the office following a motion of no confidence.

The leader of the DA, Helen Zille, published blasphemous remarks about Pypers and former councillor Hoffman on her website. This disinformation could only have been made available to her by Nast and his predecessor Marti Wenger, as Zille had no knowledge of the persons referred to above.

This action of Zille has resulted in a multi-million rand legal claim against her for slander which was instituted by Mr. Corrie Pypers and former DA MMC, Kobus Hoffman.

Apparently untouchable, Nast continued to be instrumental in the dismissal of whistle blowers – councillors and officials alike.

Nast was further involved in the name change of a predominately Afrikaans school and instituted proceedings for the changes of various street and place names, similar to actions usually instituted by ANC controlled municipalities.

It is therefore widely expected that Nast will be joining the ANC in due course.

A number of issues, with long term implications for Nast and the DA, are still sub judice and will be made known when possible. Pypers, with all these facts in mind, called for the resignation of Nast two months ago.

DA’s Midvaal mayor moves to ANC central planning unit

The release of the Public Protectors report with the findings of maladministration and irregularities in the DA controlled Midvaal municipality in Gauteng, highlighted rampant corruption.

The FF Plus, already in April 2009, during a press briefing made information available to the media about corruption in Midvaal and in November 2009 requested an investigation by the Gauteng MEC for local government.

According to the FF+, Helen Zille, was aware of allegations of serious corruption in Midvaal from at least January 2009, after Mr. Kobus Hofmann, then a member of the mayoral committee for Midvaal revealed his concerns about corruption in the municipality to her and she, despite this, continually referred to the clean administration of the DA in Midvaal during the election campaign of 2009 and the local government elections of 2011.

Helen Zille, James Selfe, Ryan Coetzee and other senior DA leaders denied every time that there is any form of corruption in Midvaal despite numerous conspicuous pieces of evidence. The FF Plus intervened after numerous residents in Midvaal approached the party for assistance because they had been harmed by the DA council.

Zille had even in the Volksblad newspaper of 21 August 2011 denied that she knew Hofmann and James Selfe, the chairperson of the Federal Council of the DA at the time, told the same media that he was not worried about the allegations after Hofmann had laid a charge at the Meyerton police of defeating the ends of justice against Zille and other DA leaders.

The controversial leader of the DA in Midvaal, Mr. Andre Odendaal, following allegations of corruption made against the DA in public, then started a defamation case against Messrs. Corrie Pypers, FF Councillor in Midvaal, Kobus Hofmann, whistle blower and Jaco Mulder, the FF Plus’ MPL in Gauteng .

“The DA and ANC are two sides of the same coin and time will show that the DA controlled Midvaal is most probably the most corrupt municipality in South Africa ,” Mulder said. Helen Zille, James Selfe, Ryan Coetzee and Martie Wenger are therefore accessories to this corruption as it was continually brought to their attention but they denied it and neglected to take action against it.

The DA has repeatedly misled the voters and can consequently not be a credible alternative to the ANC.

FF Plus demanded that Helen Zille and every DA official who is involved in the corruption in Midvaal resign.

Despite this, the DA’s Midvaal mayor Timothy Nast was praised by MP James Selfe.

“He takes up his new position at the Gauteng Planning Commission (GPC) from August 1,” said Selfe, after news of Nast’s recent resignation became public.

The GPC is responsible for long-term city-region planning and performance monitoring and evaluation for the province. All infrastructure and development planning is co-ordinated centrally by the GPC on behalf of Gauteng premier Nomvula Mokonyane, a member of the African National Congress.

Selfe said the move to the ANC would not affect Nast’s affiliation with the DA. “He made it very clear that he remained an enthusiastic and loyal member of the DA.”

Nast, 32, became mayor of the Midvaal in 2009. He was re-elected to the post in 2011.