Tshwane mayor Stevens Mokgalapa has resigned.

The embattled mayor is said to have been backed into a corner after being given an ultimatum to either resign or be fired.

This comes after the DA’s federal executive gave a green light to a disciplinary process on Mokgalapa following remarks he made in an audio clip that leaked late last year.

In the clip, he was heard casually discussing with his former MMC for roads and transport Sheila Senkubuge plans to fire government officials, referring to the speaker of the metropolitan municipality as a witch and taking a BMW X5 belonging to an official for own use.

This has caused a lot of instability in the metropolitan municipality and has seen several motions of no confidence in the mayor being brought forward.

It appears Mokgalapa has now decided to resign on his own accord.

“It is with great regret that I inform the people of Tshwane and my colleagues in my party, the Democratic Alliance, that I intend on resigning as executive mayor of the City of Tshwane before the next council meeting at the end of February,” Mokgalapa said on Sunday.

“This has been a tough decision. However, the most important consideration is to put the people of Tshwane first.”

Mokgalapa has been on special leave since the audio leaked in November and was due to return to work this week.

It is not clear if he will be allowed back in office to serve his notice.

He said that his continued presence in the office of the mayor “is a football that others with political malice cannot resist kicking around”.

“I wish to be clear that I have not broken any laws and am confident that I would emerge positively from any assessment of my conduct,” Mokgalapa said.