Cilliers Brink of the DA is the new Mayor of the City of Tshwane after he defeated Cope’s Ofentse Moalusi by 109 to102 at the City Council last night.
Brink’s election comes three weeks after Dr Murunwa Makwarela, also from Cope, was forced to resign because he allegedly falsified a rehabilitation certificate to prove that he was no longer insolvent.
After his victory Brink promised to solve service delivery problems and stabilise the City’s finances saying he would draw inspiration from the City of Cape Town which was breaking new ground in terms of service delivery.
He also said he will find ways to resolve the water crisis in Hammanskraal and surrounding areas which negatively impacted the communities.
“First we have to get control of our finances. We have to ensure that the money that people pay as rates and tariffs delivers value in services. We have to invest in our own electricity generation. Whatever challenges we face we have to make sure basic services are not compromised.”
Brink said his government will serve all people, “not some of the people, not the connected few, not insiders but especially the outsiders … especially people who depend on basic services”.
He said the DA, ActionSA, ACDP and Freedom Front Plus coalition can work well in Tshwane and this is the model South Africa is heading to in 2024, thus it is important for Tshwane to become a success that Gauteng can emulate to govern after 2024.
He however said speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana is going to be removed because it is what the majority of Council members want.
Brink is the fourth Mayor of the DA since 2016 and the first was Solly Msimanga, followed by Stevens Mokgalapa and up until this year, Randall Williams.