Tshwane mayor-elect Cilliers Brink received strong backing from coalition partners on Wednesday. 

Speaking at a briefing in Tshwane, DA MP Brink sounded determined to turn the situation in the city around. He believes the coalition should remain united to ensure that there are no disruptions to their work in the city. 

“It is going to be important that the mayor and mayoral committee govern as a whole. That is why I said not only a city that works, but works for all its people. We know that there are deep inequalities… but to be a mayor that governs for all and to be a team that governs for all is not a complicated task and I think it already accords with what I believe and want,” he said.

It is almost certain that he will be elected as the mayor of the capital city.

The coalition of the DA, ActionSA, Freedom Front Plus (FF+), African Christian Democratic Party, Congress of the People (Cope) and Inkatha Freedom Party has 109 seats, enough for Brink to be installed as the city’s number one citizen.

“This multiparty coalition has a 50%-plus-two majority, which is what we lacked in Johannesburg and still lack in Ekurhuleni. With the unity of purpose that we do have, I am sure we will compensate for each other’s weaknesses and that we will build a capital city that works for all its people,” Brink said. 

Murunwa Makwarela, a Cope councillor and the council’s Speaker, threw his weight behind Brink. 

“We stand united by Mayor-elect Cilliers Brink and we believe that we will remain true to the priorities we have agreed as coalition partners. Part of it is service delivery in the area of water, in the area of electricity. We think very soon we will have a council meeting which looks into the election of our mayor-elect,” he said.

Introducing the DA’s Tshwane Mayoral Candidate, Cilliers Brink. His candidacy has also been endorsed by the multi-party coalition.

Cilliers was first elected a councillor in Tshwane in 2011, and served as member of the mayoral committee in 2016, and later became a DA MP in 2019. pic.twitter.com/b9e7tUL7DG

— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) February 21, 2023

The Tshwane coalition met earlier this week to discuss which DA councillor would be their mayoral candidate to replace incumbent Randall Williams. 

The coalition felt Brink had the qualifications needed to turn around specific issues such as the Rooiwal Wastewater Treatment Plant, as well as pressing service delivery issues affecting communities including Hammanskraal, Soshunguve and Mamelodi. 

According to a memorandum sent out to party members by the DA Federal Council chair, Helen Zille, the opportunity to apply for the position was extended to DA members of the Provincial Legislature and National Assembly.

Brink was among five DA members interviewed for the position last week. 

Others who were in the running included former Tshwane council Speaker Katlego Mathebe, DA Tshwane caucus leader Jacqui Uys, and councillors Peter Sutton and Kingsley Wakelin.

Randall Williams resignation 

Executive Mayor Randall Williams tendered his resignation last week, stating that it was for the sake of the stability of the coalition government. There was some confusion about the legitimacy of Williams’ resignation but this has since been cleared through a legal opinion by Ncube Incorporated Attorneys. 

STATEMENT: Today I am formally resigning as the Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane as of midnight this evening. @CityTshwane pic.twitter.com/Hr4ruag0zj

— Mayor Randall Williams (@tshwane_mayor) February 13, 2023

In his initial resignation letter, Williams indicated that he would be vacating office effective from 14 February 2023, but later changed this to 1 March 2023 (as at midnight 28 February 2023).

“Therefore, in our opinion, the irresistible conclusion to be drawn is that the letter of resignation is valid and binding because according to the Speaker’s personal secretary, he read the letter of resignation before the variation letter.

“The controversial aspect is, given the current circumstances, whether it is open for the Executive Mayor to unilaterally vary the effective date of his resignation… On the conspectus of the evaluation of the evidence presented to us, we are of the view that his resignation was not impulsive but, as pointed out earlier, the resignation was to preserve the unity of the multiparty coalition in the city,” the legal opinion reads. 

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During Williams’ tenure, it was alleged that he handpicked a service provider for a bid worth R26-billion. The tender was for the refurbishment, financing, operating and maintenance of the Pretoria West and Rooiwal power stations. 

The allegations were brought by ActionSA’s Gauteng chairperson, Bongani Baloyi, who indicated that the party would vote against a report which sought public consultation to be conducted on the unsolicited bid. Baloyi said the report was unlawful and in breach of the prescripts of a signed multiparty coalition agreement.

Williams was, however, cleared after an investigation.

Read more in Daily Maverick: “Tshwane mayor confident that coalition will hold firm, despite rifts in other metros” 

In addition to this, the recent Auditor-General report exposed gross graft in the city. The report’s findings on the city’s finances for 2021/2022 revealed irregularities amounting to more than R10-billion. Financial statements were not disclosed for the purposes of auditing and accountability.  

The coalition, along with Williams, has largely blamed the adverse findings on the period in the year under audit when the city was run by administrators appointed by the ANC-led provincial government.

FF+ councillor Grandi Theunissen said they were determined to hold to account those implicated in wrongdoing.

“We are committed to making a difference and we have already started making that difference. We have to instil discipline, we need to keep people accountable for the wrongdoings of the past. I am fortunate to be part of the previous make-up and I can tell you today that there are charges which have been laid against senior officials,” he said. DM