A general view during a City of Tshwane council sitting on 21 April 2022 in Pretoria, South Africa. Picture: Gallo Images/Beeld/Deaan Viver
The City of Tshwane is set to have a new executive mayor by the end of the day following the resignation of Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Randall Williams.
The Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality convened a council sitting on Tuesday, with 213 councillors expected to elect Williams’ replacement.
DA councilor Cilliers Brink is running for the top position.
Brink, who recently resigned as Member of Parliament (MP), was selected as a mayoral candidate by the DA-led coalition and was sworn-in as a councillor in Tshwane last week.
During Tuesday’s council proceedings, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) questioned the short turnaround time the City took to sworn in Brink.
“We want to get details from [Tshwane speaker’s] office when was the name of Mr Brink admitted as a councillor because we, as the EFF, woke up shocked he was addressing the media using the logos of the City,” EFF councilor, Obakeng Ramabodu said.
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“The guy is being parachuted from Parliament to undermine those who are here because according to them there is no talent, but we want to get clarity about the status of Mr Brink.”
The African National Congress (ANC) echoed the same sentiments.
“It took ANC two weeks to complete the vacancy of councilor Kgosi Maepa [but] it took Cilliers Brink 24 hours for him to become a councillor. Speaker, there can’t be [special] treatment for the DA and the ANC,” ANC councilor Aaron Maluleka said.
ANC councilor Seabelo Marishane backed Maluleka, saying the matter needed to be resolved before they could elect a new mayor.
“We are raising a very important issue here to say that council resources, whether be a backdrop banner, was utilised by someone who was not as yet an official of council.
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“We want to satisfy ourselves if the process was followed accordingly.”
As the meeting experienced some slight disruptions, one councilor was heard taking a dig at Brink.
“You are bringing us a racist. You brought Randall now bringing Cilliers Brink,” the councilor said, while another shouted out for the DA member “to go home”.
After a 10-minute break, Tshwane council Speaker, Dr Murunwa Makwarela, revealed that a letter from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) stated that Brink has been a councillor since 23 February.
The EFF called for the City’s ethics committee to investigate Brink for the media briefing he held on 22 February.
“We still maintain our question [about] why Brink was addressing the media in the platform of the municipality as if he is representing the municipality. Why does this guy undermine us before he can even be something?” Ramabodu said.
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Makwerela acceded to the EFF’s request and adjourned the meeting for a two-hour break.
The ANC has confirmed that it will not be offering a mayoral candidate, but will support someone else from another party.
“The team of parties represented in council through a census will put up a person so it’s not about ANC. We are the majority party in council, but we repsect parties that are represented,” ANC regional secretary George Matjila said.
The council sitting will resume at 2pm.
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