Johann Mettler, the city manager of Tshwane, has initiated an urgent legal challenge at the Pretoria High Court to overturn his precautionary suspension by the municipal council.

The application seeks an order to suspend the suspension decision, reinstate Mettler to his position, and prevent the council from restricting his access to office functions.

Mettler argues that the July 9 council vote suspending him was unlawful, as it exceeded the speaker's authority and failed to establish necessary jurisdictional facts.He contends that the disciplinary process was procedurally unfair, leading to irreparable harm if interim relief is denied.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has also joined the court case, alleging that the council speaker manipulated votes during the suspension decision, which resulted in Mettler's removal despite 92 councillors voting against it.The DA seeks to invalidate the results and ensure proper proceedings to address the allegations against both Mettler and CFO Gareth Mnisi.The case highlights tensions over governance and accountability within Tshwane's municipal administration.