Pretoria - Cope’s Dr Murunwa Makwarela has been elected as the new executive mayor of Tshwane, after securing 112 votes, mainly from the ANC and the EFF.
Makwarela was the sitting Tshwane Speaker.
Makwarela’s appointment comes after the resignation of the DA’s Randall Williams, who stepped down as mayor on February 13.
Makwarela defeated the DA’s mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink, who is also a former Tshwane councillor and MMC for corporate and shared services.
Brink recently resigned as an Member of Parliament and was selected as a mayoral candidate by the DA-led coalition.
He was sworn-in as a councillor in Tshwane last week.
Brink received 101 out of 213 votes, while Makwarela managed to secure 112 of the votes cast.
The minority party mayor received his support from the ANC, EFF and other small parties saying removing the DA was liberating.
“Our people will now receive the services that they have missed for the past seven years.
“As leaders representing millions of people in the township, its a great relief,’’ said Tshwane ANC spokesperson Joel Masilela.
Masilela told Newzroom Afrika that their coalition was tired of the “bullying” tactics of the DA and their arrogance towards providing services to poor communities.
“The negotiations were not pioneered by a single party, but it was a work of the ANC, EFF and many others who saw the need to bring services to our people.”
This is not the first time the ANC and the EFF have joined forces in unseating the DA. Last month, the parties worked together in removing Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse through a motion of no confidence.
They them voted together to install Al Jama-ah's Thapelo Amad as the transitional Johannesburg mayor.
The parties are also planning to remove the DA’s Ekurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell through a motion of no confidence.
IOL