The City of Johannesburg (COJ) has condemned the abuse of legal processes, following an attempt to arrest city manager Floyd Brink.
The CoJ said it has instructed its legal team to immediately lodge an urgent application to the court to stay the execution of the warrant and will seek to prevent any further abuse of the legal system to harass officials of the city in the manner in which the city manager has been targeted.
Joburg Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda said Brink has been the target of incessant harassment by certain political actors using the courts to compromise and prevent him from exercising his duties.
"This attack on his person and character has now been orchestrated to embarrass and target him and his family and to create a public perception that the city manager is a suspect in a criminal matter," he said.
Gwamanda further condemned suspicious leaks to the media and subsequent articles that he said have also been used to further this narrative and the City takes a cautious and dim view of this abuse and ill-intent.
The arrest is in relation to a matter that involves a resident of the City and a disputed utilities account.
"This legal dispute emanates from a dispute on the rates owed to the City by the said resident and the corrective steps undertaken to rectify same," the City said in a statement.
It added that the warrant of arrest was defective and had an error, and could not be legally executed.
"Also of concern, was the attempt to execute the warrant at the private residence of the city manager, undermining his rights and that of his minor children and family," the CoJ said.
Gwamanda said the city endeavours to resolve any rates and utility account disputes in an amicable, transparent and cooperative manner with the affected clients to avoid unnecessary and protracted litigation.
“In this regard, we urge residents to always utilise the available dispute resolution mechanisms which have proved to be effective in assisting residents with billing queries and complaints,” he said.
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