The mayor of Johannesburg, Mpho Phalatse, has been accused of concealing the arrest of acting city manager Bryne Maduka after a dispute with a ratepayer.

The Star reports Maduka was allegedly arrested and taken to a local prison and the Midrand police station.

Al-Jama-Ah leader Thapelo Amad said he had it on good authority that Maduka was arrested last Thursday and held for a day before he was released.

Amad said he had been informed that the ratepayer involved in Maduka’s arrest had been involved in a dispute with the city and that the matter was now before the courts.

He said the ratepayer had acquired an interdict to stop the city from cutting off service for non-payment of rates, but the city went ahead and cut off the service.

The violation of the court order apparently resulted in Maduka’s arrest.

Responding to the allegations, the mayor’s office said Maduka was not arrested, but there was a warrant for his arrest as the accounting officer in the city. 

He said the matter was resolved before the warrant of arrest was executed and that the matter had been settled.

Full report in The Star