Tshwane-saga: ANC ‘still talking’ as Brink is ‘not an option’

It is still anyone’s guess who will be elected as the next mayor of Tshwane after the DA’s Cilliers Brink was removed with a motion of no confidence, tabled by the ANC weeks ago.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party was continuing to engage with various parties to finalise the mayor and the executive team.

“There have been ongoing engagements with various parties in all metros in Gauteng. The working committee received a detailed report on Tshwane, given the level of deterioration of service delivery and governance in the city,” he said.

DA approach to bring back Brink unacceptable – Mbalula

“The approach of the DA that we should bring back Brink, is not acceptable.

“The ANC is engaging all parties that are keen to work with us, to set up an inclusive, viable and effective coalition government that put the people before the party-political interest,” he added.

Brink said his team was ready to continue where they left off.

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“If I do not win, we will serve the residents from the opposition benches,” he said.

“For the future of the Tshwane metro and the prospects of improving service delivery, it is very important for the mayor, whoever that person is, to continue with the programme of action we have set out.”

Brink said the financial rescue project held the key to making progress in all other areas and added that despite improved revenue collection, the project was still at a critical stage.

Brink’s financial rescue project still at critical stage

“Any ill-conceived move, such as agreeing to unaffordable salary increases, can cause a cash flow crisis which the city might not survive.

“We really need to find a way to insulate the administration of the city against political instability,” he said.

Freedom Front Plus Tshwane caucus leader Grandi Theunissen said the party will not field a mayoral candidate.

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“The FF Plus are on record publicly that we have agreed to support Brink in continuing on the path of collective management of the city.

“We believe this will not only stabilise the situation in Tshwane, but be in the best interest of the city and the residents at the moment,” Theunissen said.

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba said he would attend the special council meeting in person.

‘Important moment for ActionSA and Tshwane’

“It’s an important moment for ActionSA and the people of Tshwane.

“We intend to go all out to demonstrate to all of the residents, irrespective of where they live, that Tshwane can be turned into a city that truly works for them,” he said.

Political expert Daniel Silke said Tshwane has become something of a litmus test for the cohesiveness of the government of national unity (GNU).

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“The ousting of Brink and the deteriorating relationship between the DA and elements of the ANC, particularly the Gauteng ANC, point to Tshwane being a flashpoint to whether the positive sentiment of the broader GNU will ever really filter down to other spheres of government, especially in the key metros that have to emerge administrative, service delivery problems,” he said.

The best one can hope for in Tshwane was for the ANC and the DA to compromise on positions and reaffirm the national status of the GNU at a local government level.

“There is to be a continuous farraginous relationship between the ANC and DA, especially in a metro Tshwane.

‘Farraginous relationship between ANC and DA in Tshwane’

“This will not only affect service delivery in Tshwane but also undermine the goodwill of the GNU at a national level,” Silke said.

Assuming there was no agreement between the DA and ANC and, assuming the ANC goes ahead with a candidate that was found to favour ActionSA and other parties on that side of the coalition, the DA would likely be left out in the cold and further sour relations between the DA and ANC, Silke said.