By Lebone Rodah Mosima
The EFF in Tshwane has asked Mayor Nasiphi Moya to clarify whether DA mayoral candidate and councillor Cilliers Brink declared an alleged R62,386 monthly party “top-up” contained in a leaked DA report.
Tshwane EFF caucus chief whip Godwin Ratikwane wrote to Moya about the “confidential document”, reportedly signed by former DA federal finance chairperson Dion George, setting out additional payments to certain DA party leaders.
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“In terms of the Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality’s policy on Councillors Declaration of Interests, all councillors are within 60 days required to declare in writing to the municipal manager their financial interests, including employment and remuneration or any other financial interests in any business undertaking,” Ratikwane wrote.
“In this regard, the EFF seeks clarity on whether Alderman Cilliers Brink has duly declared this alleged additional income in compliance with the policy.”
The leaked report said Brink received a gross monthly payment of R62,386 from 1 October 2024, reflecting the difference between the remuneration of a part-time Tshwane councillor and that of the city’s executive mayor. It said the amount was payable in terms of his contract with the party until the 2026 election.
“As indicated at the meeting, there exists a process for the approval of any additional payment,” the report read.
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“In the event of an appeal of a non-approval, the Federal Finance Committee will consider the request. Any approval is reported to the Federal Finance Committee and to the Federal Executive.”
Brink has denied any wrongdoing and said he had made the required disclosures.
“It’s not in fact clear what the complaint is about the income received by a councillor. I can assure you that all councillors have to declare their incomes and that I have done,” Brink told SABC News.
The DA has disputed the authenticity of the leaked report, although News24 reported that George confirmed the document was authentic.
The report also set out alleged top-up payments to other DA leaders. According to the leaked document, Mathew Cuthbert, a DA MP and the party’s head of policy, received an additional gross payment of R50,000 a month from 1 April 2025 until the 2026 election.
It further said DA federal leader and Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen received an additional leader stipend of R14,584 a month from 1 June 2021 to 31 January 2022, which increased to R16,950 a month from 1 February 2022 to 31 March 2024. From April to June 2024, the report said, that increased to R58,344 gross a month to align his total salary with that of a premier, before shifting to R39,560 gross a month after his appointment as minister, taking his total remuneration to that of the deputy president.
The report also said the federal leader requested the inclusion of “payments for retirement funds” covering the past 15 years.
According to the report, Helen Zille was reimbursed R1 364 000 after transferring, at the party’s request, from the National Assembly to the City of Cape Town to help form the DA’s first government there. It said the reimbursement was intended to prevent a break in pension service that would have significantly reduced her pension benefit.