Msimanga’s resolve only stronger after attempts to oust him

While Tshwane mayor Solly Msimanga keeps dodging the motion of no confidence bullet, the constant target on his back only strengthened his resolve to provide services for the capital, as he still has a job to do.

In a second attempt to oust the mayor, the ANC’s urgent application for a motion of no confidence last week fell flat.

Msimanga survived by 18 votes, considering at least seven of the ANC councillors were absent from the council sitting.

In August, Msimanga walked out unscathed when the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) motion of no confidence against him was scrapped due to technical errors.

But last week, the red berets abstained their vote.

Despite the ongoing call by the parties for Msimanga to be removed due to alleged corruption and misconduct by his city manager Moeketsi Mosola, the mayor is adamant to continue doing his job.

Speaking to The Citizen yesterday, he said the motions against him only gave him strength as the ANCs tricks were just an attempt to derail him from his duties.

“It has actually strengthened my resolve. The ANC are trying to defocus me, and that is something I am not going to dwell on.”

It seems the city’s opposition party was desperate to oust Msimanga as they tried to submit a second motion of no confidence on the same day, he told The Citizen.

He said in the same morning, the party came up with another motion against him.

“They were willing to put forward two motions of no confidence in one day. That should tell you they are really not interested in the issues of service delivery and accountability. By hook or by crook, they try to derail us from what we are trying to do.”

As council raised their hands in an open vote last week, the EFF councillors sat back with folded arms, abstaining from the vote.

This was no surprise to Msimanga as the party had indicated to him earlier that they would not be voting with the ANC.

He said the DA and EFF were still in talks on national level in an attempt to further their coalition ahead of the 2019 general elections.

“This is more of a talk on national level. If the polls are anything to go by, there will be a need for a coalition government in Gauteng and other provinces,” he said.

– rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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