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Possible mayoral post for ActionSA in exchange for power shift
The petition to stop the removal of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink is gaining momentum despite an attempt by the ANC to get rid of him, which is planned for the council meeting on September 26.
The motion of no confidence has already been placed as an agenda item on a notice about the meeting.
The motion was drafted and submitted by councillor MKF Boshielo and seconded by councillor AM Maluleka of the ANC.
The complaints against Brink include that his leadership led to Tshwane owing Eskom R6-billion and having to pay billions in interest as well as interest of more than R15.5-million to the Rand Water Council. Both amounts are valid in respect of the 2022/23 financial year.
His possible removal as mayor came up after the ActionSA caucus announced on August 28 that they no longer wanted to be part of the coalition government of Tshwane. They are planning to join forces with the ANC and other parties to depose Brink and his coalition.
Michael Beaumont, the national chairperson of ActionSA, told Rekord his party is currently still internally reviewing its position in Tshwane and that the review is not done with preconceived opinions.
Beaumont said on September 5, after a day-long inspection of service delivery points in the metro, that ActionSA is aware of the suggestions by ANC for his party to nominate a candidate to possibly take the position of mayor.
ActionSA is however, according to Beaumont, still busy with the reviewing process on opportunities for co-operation with the ANC in Tshwane.
He did not want to comment on the possibility that if they accept the ANC offer in exchange for their co-operation in a coalition in Tshwane, the current mayoral position might be filled by an ActionSA candidate. The current ActionSA deputy mayor, Nasiphi Moya, could be the ideal candidate.
He did acknowledge though that during the service delivery inspection on September 5 he again became aware of the hard and thorough Moya work has done in the position since her appointment this year.
“Her work in communities has been excellent,” he said.
After she was appointed deputy mayor, Moya came under the spotlight when she had to pay back a travel allowance of R10 000 in February this year for a cancelled international trip to Saudi Arabia in 2020 while she was a senior municipal councillor.
The EFF pointed out during a council meeting that she allegedly embezzled municipal funds while she served as chief of staff under former mayor Stevens Mokgalapa.
The district secretary of the ANC, George Matjila also did not want to speak to Rekord about any possible outcomes of negotiations.
“We await the national leadership of the ANC to provide guidance on the matter,” he said.
Meanwhile, the battle orders by parties are being drafted for September 26.
Obakeng Ramabodu of the EFF confirmed that his party will join the ANC to get rid of Brink.
Out of more than 53 000 signatures on September 5 for a DA petition to keep Brink in office, sectors of Pretoria appear to be standing firmly behind him.
By way of a High Court order, Brink repelled a similar motion, scheduled for the council meeting on August 29.
Currently, the DA is mobilising residents to reject attempts to break up the stable coalition in Tshwane.
The leader of the DA caucus in the city council Jacqui Uys said: “It is evident that the executive board in Tshwane is working. We work hard, and until recently, we have worked well together.”
She believes the capital city is busy turning over a new leaf.
“It’s irresponsible of a coalition partner to exchange all the progress they have made together with the DA for a government which without a doubt has to include the EFF. We have already seen what this party does when they are in governance. Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni are examples of their mismanagement. Tshwane deserves better,” said Uys.
The civil rights organisation AfriForum kicked off a campaign to keep the metro, as they put it, “out of the hands of the EFF”.
According to spokesperson Ernst van Zyl, the Tshwane metro will again fall into disarray if the current ruling coalition breaks up.
“That is why urgent action is needed
