This was confirmed to The Star by the DA’s national leadership yesterday, which also said it supported calls made by Joburg mayor Herman Mashaba that Dagada should repay the money he allegedly swindled from the City of Joburg.
Mashaba dismissed Dagada on Monday as Joburg’s member of the mayoral committee for finance.
This relates to a “jobs and tenders for pals” scandal - first revealed in The Star last year - which showed how Dagada’s long-term friend and business associate, Seth Mukwevho, was given a lucrative tender and senior positions within the city, allegedly due to Dagada’s influence.
Mashaba ordered a forensic probe into the claims, which, according to the mayor, found Dagada to have cheated the city.
These included undeclared conflicts of interests and nepotism, exertion of undue influence to benefit “individuals closely associated with him”, and price-fixing with a service provider.
Speaking yesterday, DA federal executive chairperson James Selfe confirmed the party’s federal legal commission (FLC) “was currently seized with the matter” of Dagada’s expulsion.
This follows his suspension as a proportional representation councillor in the DA’s Joburg council caucus, pending an investigation by the FLC.
Selfe said Dagada could be expelled from the caucus only if the FLC kicked him out of the party.
He could also face suspension from the DA while the FLC deliberated on his fate within the party, after Selfe said the legal body had “been given a letter requesting that he state reasons why he should not be suspended”.
Dagada refused to comment yesterday on his possible expulsion, as well as the DA supporting Mashaba’s stance to retrieve alleged corruption money from him.
Mashaba told The Star this week there was strong “evidence of the corruption and collusion” unearthed that implicated Dagada in the forensic probe.
Selfe said the DA had suffered reputational damage from the graft allegations levelled against one of its senior public servants.
“Obviously there is damage in this discovery. But it is substantially mitigated by the fact that we acted swiftly the moment we knew about the matter,” said Selfe.
An infuriated Mashaba on Monday said he wanted to recoup money that Dagada "and his associates” had allegedly defrauded from the city.
He also vowed to lay criminal charges against the axed MMC.
The mayor would not reveal the total amount that was allegedly taken by Dagada.
“But, obviously, the process followed (to get contracts) was wrong and service was provided - even though that service was substandard, which was also captured in the forensic report. That is why I am saying that even criminal charges must be laid (against Dagada),” Mashaba said.
Selfe said the DA supported the stance taken by Mashaba to publicly condemn Dagada.
“Yes, the DA does support mayor Mashaba’s views. However, the decision to charge criminally and to recoup any money is a prosecutorial matter to be left to the police and the courts,” Selfe added.