By Thapelo Molefe
A motion of no confidence against Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink was successfully passed at the city’s council chambers in Pretoria on Thursday.
The motion secured a significant majority, with 120 councillors supporting it, 87 opposing, and a single abstention, effectively ending Brink’s term as mayor.
Brink faced the vote sponsored by the African National Congress (ANC), amidst claims of deteriorating service delivery in the capital city.
Before the vote, the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on Tshwane councillors to reject the motion, urging them to “do the right thing” and protect the stability of the city’s government.
DA supporters gathered outside the chambers to demonstrate their support for the embattled mayor.
The party’s Gauteng chairperson, Fred Nel, expressed concerns that removing Brink’s administration would destabilise Tshwane and compromise service delivery.
“It’s disappointing these parties are banding together to remove a government that is working, that is stable, that is starting to deliver services,” Nel said.
He warned that a change in government could mirror the political instability experienced in Johannesburg.
The ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters and ActionSAhave confirmed their support for the motion, collectively holding 55% of the council seats.
Speaking before the vote, Brink said he remained defiant, stating that his party was “in a fighting mood” and open to negotiations with the ANC.
“It’s very unfortunate the ANC has not withdrawn this motion. They can still do it, but the longer they take to do it, the less likely there is for a good outcome. My general feeling is one of concern for the city, but we are in a fighting mood,” Brink said.
“We want to protect the gains we have made. We want to cut that ribbon on the Hammanskraal water project that gives people clean water in their taps.”
The DA has vowed to protect the interests of the people of Tshwane, even if it meant taking legal action to prevent the city from being “destroyed from within”.
The ANC Greater Tshwane Region said before that vote that its national structure had given the green light to proceed with the removal of the DA-led coalition in the city.
“I can confirm that we are going ahead with the motion of no confidence today. And the narrative that there is a defiance from within the ANC, the ANC would not tolerate such, it’s not designed to accommodate defiance from within,” said ANC Tshwane spokesperson Bafuze Yabo.
“So, the narrative there is a Panyaza Lesufi who has defied national and that is not true, the ANC has a structural way of dealing with matters. And structures that are higher than lower structures when they inform a decision they instruct, the decision is taken as that, we don’t argue about it.”
Earlier on, the ANC and other opposition parties said they had lost faith in Brink’s leadership, citing service delivery failures and other grievances.
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