Possible mayoral post for ActionSA in exchange for power shift

The petition to stop the removal of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink is gaining momentum despite an attempt by the ANC to get rid of him, which is planned for the council meeting on September 26.

The motion of no confidence has already been placed as an agenda item on a notice about the meeting.

The motion was drafted and submitted by councillor MKF Boshielo and seconded by councillor AM Maluleka of the ANC.

The complaints against Brink include that his leadership led to Tshwane owing Eskom R6-billion and having to pay billions in interest as well as interest of more than R15.5-million to the Rand Water Council. Both amounts are valid in respect of the 2022/23 financial year.

His possible removal as mayor came up after the ActionSA caucus announced on August 28 that they no longer wanted to be part of the coalition government of Tshwane. They are planning to join forces with the ANC and other parties to depose Brink and his coalition.

Michael Beaumont, the national chairperson of ActionSA, told Rekord his party is currently still internally reviewing its position in Tshwane and that the review is not done with preconceived opinions.

Beaumont said on September 5, after a day-long inspection of service delivery points in the metro, that ActionSA is aware of the suggestions by ANC for his party to nominate a candidate to possibly take the position of mayor.

ActionSA is however, according to Beaumont, still busy with the reviewing process on opportunities for co-operation with the ANC in Tshwane.

He did not want to comment on the possibility that if they accept the ANC offer in exchange for their co-operation in a coalition in Tshwane, the current mayoral position might be filled by an ActionSA candidate. The current ActionSA deputy mayor, Nasiphi Moya, could be the ideal candidate.

He did acknowledge though that during the service delivery inspection on September 5 he again became aware of the hard and thorough Moya work has done in the position since her appointment this year.

“Her work in communities has been excellent,” he said.

After she was appointed deputy mayor, Moya came under the spotlight when she had to pay back a travel allowance of R10 000 in February this year for a cancelled international trip to Saudi Arabia in 2020 while she was a senior municipal councillor.

The EFF pointed out during a council meeting that she allegedly embezzled municipal funds while she served as chief of staff under former mayor Stevens Mokgalapa.

The district secretary of the ANC, George Matjila also did not want to speak to Rekord about any possible outcomes of negotiations.

“We await the national leadership of the ANC to provide guidance on the matter,” he said.

Meanwhile, the battle orders by parties are being drafted for September 26.

Obakeng Ramabodu of the EFF confirmed that his party will join the ANC to get rid of Brink.

Out of more than 53 000 signatures on September 5 for a DA petition to keep Brink in office, sectors of Pretoria appear to be standing firmly behind him.

By way of a High Court order, Brink repelled a similar motion, scheduled for the council meeting on August 29.

Currently, the DA is mobilising residents to reject attempts to break up the stable coalition in Tshwane.

The leader of the DA caucus in the city council Jacqui Uys said: “It is evident that the executive board in Tshwane is working. We work hard, and until recently, we have worked well together.”

She believes the capital city is busy turning over a new leaf.

“It’s irresponsible of a coalition partner to exchange all the progress they have made together with the DA for a government which without a doubt has to include the EFF. We have already seen what this party does when they are in governance. Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni are examples of their mismanagement. Tshwane deserves better,” said Uys.

The civil rights organisation AfriForum kicked off a campaign to keep the metro, as they put it, “out of the hands of the EFF”.

According to spokesperson Ernst van Zyl, the Tshwane metro will again fall into disarray if the current ruling coalition breaks up.

“That is why urgent action is needed before the current coalition’s fate is decided in less than two weeks,” Van Zyl said.

He urged residents to visit the website www.redpretoria.co.za to thwart such a possibility.

“With the signing of the petition, an automatic letter will be sent to the leaders of ActionSA, DA, IFP, ACDP and FF Plus with the request to settle the disputes in the coalition as soon as possible and in the interest of the metro’s residents,” explained Van Zyl.

He feels the metro’s current coalition already made progress, especially in Pretoria to give communities more control to improve and secure their neighbourhoods.

“However, that is now in jeopardy. Should political instability reign again in the metro, it will undoubtedly contribute to the poor performance of the municipality,” said Van Zyl.

The AfriForum petition garnered 7 000 signatures within 48 hours.

The Chamber of Commerce believes ActionSA is choosing corruption if it abandons the multi-party alliance.

Chairperson Fergus Ferguson strongly disapproves of ActionSA’s shortsighted and irresponsible action to break away from the multi-party alliance.

The Chamber of Commerce believes this step threatens to undo the good work that the current Tshwane council accomplished over the past two years. They are urging the party to not allow national political games to interfere with local service delivery.

“Though the Chamber of Commerce usually steers clear from party politics, the current situation is an unacceptable twist for businesses in the city. Under the ANC rule giant corruption rings on every service delivery level were established and that ActionSA is breaking away from the group which is exposing and addressing this corruption, speaks volumes,” said Ferguson.

He pointed out that for Pretoria’s economy to grow the city needs stable, effective and transparent service delivery.

“Businesspeople are insisting on stability so they can focus on economic growth,” said Ferguson.

The FF Plus said they remain committed to the current coalition government in the Tshwane metro and will do everything in their power to work together with the respective coalition partners to keep to the mandate their voters gave them.

The party caucus leader Grandi Theunissen believes the management of a metro, given Tshwane’s scale and complexity involves difficult but necessary decisions.

“Many of the challenges the coalition is facing have accumulated over years and to solve them will take patience, teamwork and stability to bring about continued progress,” he said.

“Though Tshwane metro problems cannot be solved overnight, it is important to acknowledge that the coalition’s attempts are starting to deliver positive results.

Since the coalition took over the metro, the parties have been working hard to steer the metro through challenging times for the benefit of its residents,” explained Theunissen.

That is why the FF Plus is urging its coalition partners and specifically ActionSA to come together, to provide the necessary stability and demonstrate commitment to the task of recovery.

“Residents expect the coalition to manage their differences responsibly and solve them while ensuring that necessary services continue amid the metro’s financial constraints,” he said.

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