Pretoria - After weeks of political instability, DA councillor Cilliers Brink has been elected the City of Tshwane's new executive mayor.
He was elected on Tuesday after securing 109 votes while Cope councillor Ofentse Moalusi fell short with 102 votes.
Two councillors abstained from voting.
In his acceptance speech, Brink said he will be aiming for a corruption-free administration that improves the lives of all people in Tshwane.
“... Each of us no matter our race, political affiliation, or where we live, we want to build a capital city that works. Where there is clean, effective and corruption free administration.”
Speaking to PowerFM, DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said his party welcomed Brink’s election, and they believe sanity has finally prevailed in the City.
“I said to Cilliers, you have one mission and the mission is to make sure you bring services to the people in the city...
“You make sure you stabilise the finances, you prioritise areas that have been neglected for a long time. And make sure this government reaches out to the people.”
Msimanga said there’s also a need as politicians from different political parties to have a round table discussion and stop the “madness” that is going on in Tshwane.
“Stop this madness, that’s what I want to call it, stop this madness of internal political fighting and start delivering to the people of the city, that’s all the people are asking for, they don’t want all this up and down, they want stability, they want service delivery,” he told the broadcaster.
Brink’s election comes after he was initially succeeded by former Cope councillor Dr Murunwa Makwarela, who was disqualified as mayor following news that he was declared insolvent by a court of law in 2016.
In his bid to hold on to the position, Makwarela submitted a fake insolvency certificate, the submission was followed by his subsequent resignation after it was discovered the certificate was fraudulent.
IOL