Tshwane mayor negotiations — still no deal at eleventh hour before council votes

Two weeks after the removal of Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink horse-trading over who would replace him continued on Tuesday, 8 October 2024, fewer than 24 hours before a crucial council meeting to elect his replacement.

On Tuesday afternoon, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula briefed the media at the party’s headquarters, Luthuli House, on the outcome of the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, which was expected to finalise the party’s position on Tshwane. 

Mbalula said no agreement had been reached with any of the key political players, particularly the DA, ActionSA and the Freedom Front Plus. 

“The ANC is engaging all parties that are keen to work with us to set up an inclusive, viable and effective coalition government that puts the people of Tshwane first before party political interest,” Mbalula said. 

The NWC had received a detailed report on Tshwane which pointed to deterioration of service delivery and governance in the city.  

“The NWC fully supports the need to put in place the type of government of local unity that can urgently address the pressing concerns of the people across the city. This must be the type of government that prioritises all residents of Tshwane, and not only some section of the population,” Mbalula said. 

Daily Maverick understands that by Tuesday evening negotiations between the ANC and ActionSA were still ongoing behind closed doors in Bryanston, Johannesburg. 

Despite not being able to reach a deal with any party, Mbalula was confident that Wednesday’s council meeting would proceed and a mayor would be elected within the mandated 14 days since Brink was ousted.

“We are also discussing a programme that must be rolled out by the new government in the form of a comprehensive minimum programme. We are confident that working with other parties, we will elect a new mayor of Tshwane tomorrow.”

If the council fails to elect a mayor on Wednesday, it could be in violation of the Municipal Structures Act, which could lead to an intervention by the provincial government. 



DA warns of repercussions

DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille gave the ANC an ultimatum to reinstate Brink or risk instability in the metro. She warned that if the ANC failed to back Brink, it would risk discussions over the DA and ANC cooperating in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay and eThekwini.

Brink was removed from his position through an ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence that was supported by 120 councillors, while 87 voted against the motion and one member abstained. 

“The approach of the DA, that we should either bring back Brink or nothing, is not acceptable to the NWC. The ANC is continuing engagement with various parties to finalise the matter of the mayor and the executive team,” Mbalula said. 

The DA’s Tshwane caucus spokesperson, Kwena Moloto, also confirmed to Daily Maverick that no deal had been reached with any political party, but said the DA would push for Brink to be reinstated to continue the good work he had done during his 18-month tenure.    

“We believe that the achievements of the DA-led multiparty government speak for themselves. The city’s finances have improved, progress is being made toward energy independence, and for the first time in over a decade, residents of Hammanskraal will have access to clean water,” Moloto said.  

ActionSA vies for mayor

The ANC no-confidence motion against Brink was supported by a number of political parties, including ActionSA, which dumped the DA over what it called the party’s “arrogance” and a lack of service delivery in the less-affluent areas, citing a stark difference between services provided in suburbs versus townships.  

At the time of dumping the DA, ActionSA had clinched a conditional deal with the ANC in which it would vote with the ANC on a case-by-case basis in exchange for oversight positions. ActionSA secured its first oversight position when Nobuhle Mthembu was elected as Johannesburg council Speaker.  

Read more: ActionSA about-turn on governance with Tshwane mayoralty at stake

It would now appear that ActionSA later made an about-turn, now wanting more than oversight positions, and lobbying to install its own mayor in Tshwane – Dr Nasiphi Moya.   

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said he would attend the crucial council meeting on Wednesday.

“This is an important moment for ActionSA and for the people of Tshwane… We intend to go all out to demonstrate to all residents, irrespective of where they live, that Tshwane can be turned into a city that truly works for them,” Mashaba said.   

ANC in a jam

The ANC is in a predicament since it is constrained by a coalition framework drawn up by former premier and provincial chairperson David Makhura, which states that the party must take the mayoral chain in coalitions in any council where it has the most seats, as it does in Tshwane. 

For this reason, two ANC candidates (and perhaps more) want the role. The first is Kgoši Maepa, premier Panyaza Lesufi’s chief of staff and a former ANC power broker in Tshwane, and the ANC’s current regional boss, George Matjila, Daily Maverick has reported. 

Should the ANC and ActionSA not reach an agreement, it could lack a majority and struggle to pass council resolutions. 

To mitigate against this, it has turned to the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) which was previously in the DA-led multiparty government in Tshwane but already has a working relationship with the ANC on a national level. 

Over the weekend, the Sunday Times reported that the ANC had approached the FF+ for support in securing the mayoral position in Tshwane ahead of the Wednesday vote. The talks were reportedly at an advanced stage. 

Read more: Tshwane municipality wilting under bad finances and scandal

When Brink took over as mayor 18 months ago (from the DA’s Randall Williams) he was candid about the City’s severe financial constraints, part of which he attributed to the previous ANC-led administration that had been at the helm for nearly two decades before being replaced by a DA-led coalition in 2016.        

For the greater part of 2023, the City could barely pay its debt, including to Eskom and Rand Water, and its finances were further crippled by a protracted municipal strike by workers who demanded a 5.4% salary increase.

Recently, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke commended Tshwane for improving its outcome from an adverse audit opinion to a qualified opinion by taking steps to implement prior-year audit recommendations. DM