‘Coalition of corruption and chaos has regained control’ — DA on Tshwane mayoral election

The DA in Gauteng has condemned the “underhanded dealings by which the ANC-EFF coalition of corruption recaptured control of the city” after the election of COPE’s Murunwa Makwarela as mayor of Tshwane on Tuesday.

Makwarela, with a lone seat in council, beat the DA’s Cilliers Brink in the race for the city's top job, receiving support from the ANC, EFF, Patriotic Alliance (PA), African Transformation Congress, African Independent Congress and Republican Conference of Tshwane.

Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga said while acknowledging the legitimate election of a new executive mayor, the DA maintained parties in council “showed their true colours”.

“The DA voted for Brink to lead the multiparty coalition in government. Unfortunately, other political parties put self-interest, patronage and political opportunism above the people of Tshwane,” he said.

The DA leader vowed the party would occupy the opposition benches and become the ruling coalition’s “worst nightmare”.

“The DA has fought for South Africans from opposition benches before. A DA opposition is an ANC-EFF government’s worst nightmare. We will make the ANC-EFF coalition of chaos and corruption regret today’s shameless politicking to achieve through the backdoor what voters have denied them at the ballot box: the power to loot and leech while South Africans languish,” said Msimanga.

The provincial leader accused unaccountable minor political parties of making the capture of local government possible.

“They are vulnerable to the patronage and pressure of the coalition of corruption, which drives home the urgent necessity for shoring up our country’s democracy through fair and reasonable thresholds for election to public offices.”

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