DA ‘won’t be bullied’ as party calls for Brink to be re-elected

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said they won’t be bullied; they won’t back down and will push for Cilliers Brink to be re-elected as the mayor of Tshwane.

The party would be fielding Brink again as a mayoral candidate when the nominations open up, DA provincial leader Solly Msimanga said.

Msimanga said he would be engaging throughout the weekend into the coming week with other parties and the ANC.

DA engaging with parties, ANC

“We will attempt to reach out to them on a provincial level to see if we could find each other. We are talking about the unity that the DA is assisting the ANC with to bring into this country, yet when it comes to Gauteng and its municipalities, something else is happening,” he said.

At the national level, there was an agreement and there were principles laid down in terms of how the government was going to be formed, he said.

ALSO READ: Msimanga says DA will go back to the ANC cap in hand about Brink

“In Gauteng that was met with hostility because it seems Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Gauteng ANC secretary TK Nciza have not grasped that they didn’t win the elections and needed partners.

“They cannot form a government with the EFF on a provincial level and now need to make sure they keep the EFF happy so they form governments with them on a local level.”

Msimanga said Lesufi was pushing against the national leadership and what was agreed on at national level.

Lesufi pushing against national leadership

“We have reached out to him. I have formally written to him. In the media, he keeps on saying they were ready to engage with us but formally nothing is forthcoming. I don’t know if it is a tactical move they are employing.

“We have had conversations for over two weeks about bringing stability into Gauteng and its municipalities. It was not only about Tshwane.

ALSO READ: Ousting of Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink raises questions

“There was also a proposal from them saying they were interested in talking about municipalities outside Gauteng, of which Nelson Mandela Bay was one,” he said.

Msimanga added the DA cannot be bullied by Herman Mashaba, saying ActionSA has messed things up for the residents of Tshwane.

Brink said regardless of the politics, the games, talks and the negotiations, his team will stay and fight for the residents, whether in government or as the opposition.

DA will stay and fight – Brink

“We won’t run away. The ANC had the opportunity to withdraw the motion of no confidence, which wouldn’t have amounted to a coalition agreement or a stability pact, but which could have given us time to consider the future of the city.”

Brink said according to the ANC’s provincial secretary, there was no plan of action yet.

ALSO READ: Mashaba says DA and ANC were colluding to oust ActionSA in Tshwane

“So, they can bring down a government but what now? That kind of thing has to end because it has implications for the residents.”

Brink said it creates a bit of scepticism about the ANC in the government of national unity (GNU) because cities were key to economic growth and economic growth was key to the success of the GNU.

“If cities are falling apart under political instability and financial ruin, with a revolving door of mayor, that is going to undermine the objectives of the GNU. This is a setback for those who had optimism for the GNU.

‘Action SA no longer a party that enabled cooperation’

“Action SA is no longer a party that enabled cooperation, it’s now an enabler of chaos.

“There was a time when they were part of the solution, constitutionalist, pro-growth, but now they are the useful idiots of those who want to destroy the constitution and were opposed to the GNU,” Brink said.

ALSO READ: Tshwane mayor: ANC rejects lifeline to save Brink

DA leader John Steenhuisen confirmed that extensive discussions between the secretary-general of the ANC and federal executive chair of the DA have been ongoing over several weeks, but did not disclose any of the outcomes.