The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng have hailed the dismissal of former City of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink, stating that it was long time given his leadership’s record of poor service performance.
Brink was officially removed as Tshwane’s executive mayor during a council session at Tshwane House on Thursday, September 26.
This decision follows a motion of no confidence submitted by the African National Congress (ANC) with the Tshwane speaker, who informed Brink of the move.
The ANC claims that Brink has failed to address fundamental concerns in the city, such as ongoing service delivery failures and mismanagement of public funds.
The vote to remove Brink had 120 councillors in favor, 87 opposed, and one abstained.
The motion garnered support from both the ANC and ActionSA, which is preparing to form a coalition to take control of the city.
The EFF in Gauteng has expressed pleasure over Brink’s removal, claiming that it was long overdue.
Nkululeko Dunga, the party’s provincial chairwoman, stated that they have long called for Brink’s resignation, citing his failure to handle service delivery, infrastructure, and money in Tshwane.
Dunga claimed that Brink’s term contributed to the City becoming the worst-performing metro in the country.
He stated that the removal is a huge success for the residents of Hammanskraal, Mamelodi, Soshanguve, Atteridgeville, and Mabopane, who have suffered from inadequate access to water and power, as well as high crime, under DA government.
“It is also a victory for municipal workers whose legitimate concerns have been consistently and arrogantly dismissed by Cilliers Brink and the DA.”
Dunga stated that the latest Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke report exposed the metro’s terrible financial position under Brink.
Maluleke’s study detailed cases of misuse and maladministration of public finances in the city.
However, she stated that the metro improved its audit opinion from adverse to qualified by implementing prior-year audit suggestions.
“The City repeatedly failed to submit timely reliable financial statements, resulting in qualified audit outcomes due to poor management and a lack of accountability under Cilliers Brink,” according to Dunga.
Furthermore, he claimed that Tshwane Metro obtained a disclaimer performance evaluation, revealing a complete lack of dependable mechanisms to monitor critical services.
“Under Brink, the City spent over R170 million of its urban settlement and development grant, leading to the deterioration of critical infrastructure and ongoing reliance on water tankers in Hammanskraal.”
Dunga described last year’s Cholera outbreak in Hammanskraal, which took more than 30 lives, as the legacy of Cilliers Brink and the DA-led coalition government.
“Furthermore, the City recorded R500 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure this financial year, stemming from corrupt practices.”
“Under Brink’s leadership, Tshwane accumulated over R6.8 billion in debt to Eskom and has also been struggling to meet its financial obligations to Rand Water.”
Dunga has accused the DA of being racially discriminatory in service delivery, stating that it has denied black neighborhoods basic services while leaving suburban regions undisturbed.
“The rampant crime in Soshanguve and Mamelodi, consistent water supply disruptions and unhygienic living conditions due to lack of proper waste collection system in townships across the city are some of the outcomes of the DA’s racially based service delivery model, the legacy of Cilliers Brink.”
He stated that the EFF appreciates Brink’s long-awaited dismissal and the collapse of his executive team.
Furthermore, Dunga has urged all political parties to act with “maturity” and urgency when building a new administration that prioritizes the interests of all Tshwane people.
“We remain committed to the establishment of a stable, accountable, and corruption-free government that serves the people with dignity and respect,” the prime minister stated.
