PHUTI MOSOMANE
COPE councillor Murunwa Makwarela has been elected City of Tshwane Mayor following Randall Williams’ resignation just over two weeks ago.
A total of 213 councillors voted during the council meeting on Tuesday.
Makwarela received 112 votes, beating DA candidate, Cilliers Brink, who got 101 votes.
Makwarela, who was Tshwane Council Speaker and holds the party’s single seat in council, was nominated by African Transformation Movement (ATM), supported by African National Congress (ANC) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).
COPE is part of the DA-led coalition in hung metros in Gauteng.
There were no abstentions. The results mean the DA-led multiparty coalition has lost control.
Meanwhile, the multi-party coalition in the City of Tshwane expressed disappointment at the election of Makwarela as the Mayor of Tshwane.
“The multi-party coalition has held a majority since taking office in 2021 and continues to hold a majority of seats in council. As has become standard with the ANC and EFF, it is clear that some councillors from within the coalition were induced to break ties with the coalition and support Makwarela,” the coalition said in a statement.
“The election of Mayors and Speakers under the secret ballot required in legislation has created a culture of bribery in municipal councils. This coalition condemns, in the harshest terms, those councillors who accept election on the back of party’s campaigning for change only to assist the ANC and EFF to get elected against the will of the residents of Tshwane.”
“All parties within the coalition will work to identify those who sold out the residents of Tshwane and the coalition. These councillors will be removed and replaced with urgency ahead of a motion of no confidence that will be tabled to remove Makwarela from his ill-gotten office. The coalition will announce developments and timing of these steps in the near future.”
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