Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers
Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink, who is facing threats to oust him through a motion of no confidence during today’s council meeting, is ready to fight off the move.
The ANC is expected to table motion on the basis of deteriorating service delivery, including failure to spend capital projects grants and the exclusion of people from participating in the local economy.
In a social media video clip, Brink said: “Whatever motivates this motion of no confidence we can confidently face it and say that things we are doing in the City of Tshwane now are the things that any government will have to do to build a city that works for all its people and we are already doing it.”
Brink was installed as the executive in March last year to lead the multiparty government under the DA with coalition partners that include ActionSA, the DA, FF-Plus, IFP and ACDP.
Unworried by rumours of a potential motion of no confidence, he said “the government must face such a motion and answer what have we done to improve the situation”.
Brink said: “On our side it is clear that we made progress on financial sustainability. We have a better audit outcome. The rating agencies have confirmed that we are on the right track. Tshwane Ya Tima is slowly making a difference. We are acting against illegal connections and that really is the basis for improving service delivery.”
The multiparty coalition partner ActionSA expressed concern about the recent submission by the ANC to table a motion against Brink.
Party caucus leader in council Jackie Mathabathe said such a motion posed a significant threat to the stability of the coalition government.
“We view this move by the ANC as an opportunistic ploy to disrupt the progress that has been made by the coalition government in delivering much-needed services to the residents of Tshwane,” he said.
Finance MMC Jacqui Uys, also the DA caucus chairperson, last week accused the regional ANC secretary, George Matjila, of orchestrating dissent because he was “upset” by the strict rules governing a recently awarded waste management tender.
The tender in question was introduced on July 15 and the City has been facing resistance against its implementation from disgruntled service providers who didn’t meet the requirements.
Matjila has reportedly refused he has a business interest in the waste management tenders.
In the wake of the new tender, the City experienced disruptions of waste collection and threats to municipal truck drivers transporting waste to landfills.
The City is, however, in the process of implementing a catch-up plan to address waste removal backlogs with truck drivers escorted by the Tshwane metro police.
Pretoria News
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za
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