Cilliers Brink has been named as the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane for the 2023 municipal elections. Brink was the mayor for Tshwane for 18 months between March 2023 to September 2024. (Photo: Deaan Vivier / Beeld / Gallo Images)
Cilliers Brink, recently unveiled as the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Tshwane mayoral candidate for the 2026 local government elections, says he is entering the race determined to handle coalitions differently after his turbulent 18-month stint as the City’s executive mayor.
Brink was ousted through a motion of no confidence exactly a year ago.
When he and his then-deputy, Nasiphi Moya, took office, the City was in serious financial trouble and struggling to pay debts to Eskom and Rand Water.
Their administration saw some improvement in the delivery of services, but cracks soon appeared in the coalition. Moya’s party, ActionSA, publicly accused the DA of being an arrogant partner, not consulting properly and neglecting black communities.
Brink, however, rejected the idea that his working relationship with Moya had collapsed.
“There was no fall-out; we worked really well together. We worked through every dispute,” he said.
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Among other disputes, Brink said they faced resistance to plans for power stations and disagreements over who should manage the leasing of municipal properties, disagreements that they were ultimately able to resolve.
To back his claims, Brink said he had championed the creation of the deputy mayor’s post despite concerns about competing power structures as a way of ensuring power sharing.
Moya was the City’s first deputy executive mayor.
“I said to the guys, this idea of a deputy mayor is not popular; it certainly is not going to be comfortable. There is a risk of two centres of power, but it is in the coalition agreement and if we want to make sure this coalition agreement is implemented, and that there is proper power sharing, we would better create that position,” Brink said.
Approach to coalitions
Brink says his biggest takeaway from his time in office is that there is a need for clearer rules and stronger principles when managing coalitions.
“Coalition politics is a reality, and it’s very unlikely that we will once again have a hegemonic, dominant party like the ANC used to be,” he said.
His strategy centres on clarity of purpose.
“The first important point is to be clear about what you believe, your worldview, policies and mandate from voters. That clarity tells you where to compromise and where not to,” Brink said.
Equally important, he said, is ensuring partners have credibility.
“You have to build relationships with local leaders who have a democratic mandate and who are people of integrity. With that, plus a majority, you have the ingredients of a successful coalition.”
Campaigning for consolidation
Brink also hopes that the lessons of coalition instability will resonate with voters. He argued that many who previously backed smaller parties such as ActionSA may reconsider in 2026.
It would appear that this is part of his party’s electoral campaign.
“Voters will look at these parties and what they’ve offered and maybe you’ll see more consolidation. […] If you vote for a party, make sure it stands for something, has democratic structures, and doesn’t run on the whims of a single leader,” Brink said.
For him, the 2026 elections are not just about reclaiming the mayor’s seat but about proving that coalitions, if managed with discipline and integrity, can deliver stability in an era where no single party is guaranteed dominance.
Brink described the role of mayor as a “daunting” one, but he believes he has the right skills and experience from both local and national government to handle it.
While some may suggest his candidacy is driven more by politics than by the interests of residents, Brink acknowledged the point but clarified the context.
“That would be a fair comment, but only if I was voted out by the electorate; and that didn’t happen. My administration was voted out by a coalition partner who thought they could get a better deal,” he said.
When asked if he could have done better as mayor, Brink acknowledged there were unfinished plans but said the fundamentals were on track.
“So, we had a plan to establish a dedicated public lighting unit and to use solar-powered lights for public lighting, but we simply didn’t have enough time to implement it. Another part of the financial recovery was rolling out smart prepaid electricity meters, which is where you lose a lot of money if usage isn’t properly metered. We were voted out before we could move on that. Of course, there are hundreds of things we could have done better, but on the fundamentals, I think we were heading in the right direction.”
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Brink also faced significant criticism, particularly from the opposition parties, over claims that his administration neglected black townships and previously disadvantaged communities such as Soshanguve and Hammanskraal.
However, he said this is something he is not bothered by, describing it as political rhetoric.
“So firstly, you have to understand that is the rhetoric of the opposition, the ANC. The ANC’s essential message is not that they can deliver, that they’ve got integrity, or that they’re acting against corruption. Their essential narrative is that, you know, the DA won’t deliver to the townships,” Brink said.DM