The United African Transformation (UTA) said there was a lack of service delivery in the City of Tshwane during the tenure of Randall Williams whom he described as a “ghost” not fit to run the metro.
Williams tendered his resignation today but he will serve as Mayor until 28 February. The UTA leader Abel Tau said service delivery in the municipality collapsed and William’s tenure was just turmoil
“United African Transformation welcomes the resignation of the Tshwane mayor Randall Williams. I’ve always believed that the ghost mayor was never a perfect fit for the City.The man had presided over the most turbulent time in the City. Together with the DA, he has aided the collapse of our City, there are potholes all over and every township in Tshwane.
“From block AA in Soshanguve to Mamelodi, Nellmapius to Atteridgeville to Hammanskraal and Winterveld. Mabopane, Ga-Rankuwa including suburbs like Centurion.
“The city is in its filthiest state ever. There is no refuse collection, service delivery has collapsed. Sidewalks have overgrown, our parks are destroyed.”
Tau thanked political parties that brought numerous motions of no confidence against Williams in a bid to remove him.
“We would like to thank political parties in the council that kept the pressure but we would like to implore these parties to never forget the work that needs to be done,” he said, adding that the city is now bankrupt under the mayor.
“The City is bankrupt. It owes millions of Rands to Eskom. It can’t pay service providers and all of these are Randall Williams’ legacy. He will be remembered as a man who collapsed the city.”.
The DA provincial leader, Solly Msimanga praised the mayor for improving the city’s finances blaming the administrators for the metro finances.
“Williams, after being elected Executive Mayor of Tshwane in the midst of the Covid pandemic
in 2020 and in the wake of ANC mismanagement that left the city with a R4 billion deficit, set about stabilising the city’s finances. This he did as the head of a DA minority government until the 2021 local government elections,” said Msimanga.
In a statement released today WIlliams said it was an honour and a privilege to serve the people of Tshwane and one of his goals as Executive Mayor, was to ensure stability of the multi-party coalition in the City.
“I do not want the political instability that has taken place in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni to spill over into Tshwane. To keep the multi-party coalition together required continuous communication and engagement to ensure unity in our city to achieve our goals.
“I resign today because I believe it is in the best interest for continued stability of the coalition in the city. Being Executive Mayor of the Capital City has not been without its difficulties but I have embraced every challenge that has come my way in the execution of my duties, all of which have allowed my own personal development.
“I resign today not in frustration, resentment or anger but in peace knowing that I have been given an incredible opportunity and I have fulfilled my duties to the best of my abilities.
“When I was first elected Executive Mayor of Tshwane at the end of October 2020 the city was in an incredibly challenging position. We had just removed the ANC administrators who had mismanaged the city and our country was still in a state of Covid-19 lockdown. Having inherited a R4 billion deficit at the time, my immediate goal was to stabilise the city’s finances.
“At that point I was leading a DA minority government and within a year we would have the local government elections. Thus there was immense pressure to guide the city to those elections and ensure stability in the government which was incredibly difficult”.
