Uncertainty has set in over the leadership of the City of Tshwane with talks that mayor Cilliers Brink is set to face a motion of no confidence in the coming weeks.
This comes after ActionSA, one of the partners in the city’s current coalition, announced it was leaving the DA-led multiparty government, and would vote in support of an ANC-sponsored motion against Brink.
While the news was not unexpected and, in fact, confirmed what we already knew, the constant changes in leadership of the metro are creating instability, to the detriment of residents. Service delivery has been severely hampered in the metro in recent years, leading to communities airing their frustrations and employees embarking on go slows.
ActionSA and the DA have fallen out of favour since the outcome of the May elections in which Herman Mashaba’s party had a poor showing. It was, therefore, not surprising to hear Mashaba this week announce his party’s intention to abandon the marriage with the DA in Tshwane.
This means another mayor will preside over the affairs of the municipality heading into the local government elections in 2026. Brink, who was elected in March last year succeeding Randall Williams, became the third mayor of the metro since 2021 municipal elections.
Williams’s tenure was equally short-lived after disagreements with coalition partners, including ActionSA, which led to his resignation. He took over from the late Murunwa Makwarela, who left office in disgrace after submitting a fake insolvency certificate to retain the Tshwane mayorship.
In the past year, the metro’s problems have been laid bare after workers downed tools to demand salary increases, which had a major impact on service delivery. Furthermore, Tshwane also struggled to pay its creditors, including Eskom and Rand Water, for services rendered.
While the auditor-general has noted Tshwane has improved its outcome from an adverse audit opinion to a qualified opinion, it is one of the municipalities highlighted for lack of evidence to support its reported achievements. This underscores the importance of stability at the helm of the metro to ensure accountability.
But with the chopping and changing at the top for political reasons, residents will continue to bear the brunt of the problems bedevilling the capital city.
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SOWETAN SAYS | Residents bear brunt of city crisis
Image: Werner Hills
Uncertainty has set in over the leadership of the City of Tshwane with talks that mayor Cilliers Brink is set to face a motion of no confidence in the coming weeks.
This comes after ActionSA, one of the partners in the city’s current coalition, announced it was leaving the DA-led multiparty government, and would vote in support of an ANC-sponsored motion against Brink.
While the news was not unexpected and, in fact, confirmed what we already knew, the constant changes in leadership of the metro are creating instability, to the detriment of residents. Service delivery has been severely hampered in the metro in recent years, leading to communities airing their frustrations and employees embarking on go slows.
ActionSA and the DA have fallen out of favour since the outcome of the May elections in which Herman Mashaba’s party had a poor showing. It was, therefore, not surprising to hear Mashaba this week announce his party’s intention to abandon the marriage with the DA in Tshwane.
This means another mayor will preside over the affairs of the municipality heading into the local government elections in 2026. Brink, who was elected in March last year succeeding Randall Williams, became the third mayor of the metro since 2021 municipal elections.
Williams’s tenure was equally short-lived after disagreements with coalition partners, including ActionSA, which led to his resignation. He took over from the late Murunwa Makwarela, who left office in disgrace after submitting a fake insolvency certificate to retain the Tshwane mayorship.
In the past year, the metro’s problems have been laid bare after workers downed tools to demand salary increases, which had a major impact on service delivery. Furthermore, Tshwane also struggled to pay its creditors, including Eskom and Rand Water, for services rendered.
While the auditor-general has noted Tshwane has improved its outcome from an adverse audit opinion to a qualified opinion, it is one of the municipalities highlighted for lack of evidence to support its reported achievements. This underscores the importance of stability at the helm of the metro to ensure accountability.
But with the chopping and changing at the top for political reasons, residents will continue to bear the brunt of the problems bedevilling the capital city.
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