‘Victory for residents’: EFF gloating after DA mayor Brink’s fall in Tshwane

’It’s also a victory for municipal workers whose legitimate concerns have been consistently and arrogantly dismissed by Brink and the DA’

27 September 2024 - 16:58
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EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga speaks about Cilliers Brink's removal.
EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga speaks about Cilliers Brink's removal.
Image: Veli Nhlapo

The EFF leadership is chuffed after the DA’s Cilliers Brink was removed as Tshwane mayor on Thursday.

Brink was voted out by 120 council members from the ANC, EFF, ActionSA, Patriotic Alliance and other minority parties in the Tshwane council. Only 87 voted against the motion, with one abstention.

EFF provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga described Brink’s removal as long overdue, saying the party had been advocating for his removal due to “failure to manage service delivery, the city’s infrastructure, and finances” in Tshwane. “This removal represents a significant victory for the residents of Hammanskraal, Mamelodi, Soshanguve, Atteridgeville and Mabopane — communities that have suffered from inadequate access to water and electricity and rampant crime under DA governance,” he said.

“It is also a victory for municipal workers whose legitimate concerns have been consistently and arrogantly dismissed by Cilliers Brink and the DA.”

Dunga believes the city was one of the worst-performing municipalities financially in the country under Brink”s tenure. “Tshwane received a disclaimer performance opinion, revealing a complete absence of reliable systems to monitor essential services.”

Dunga said under Brink, the city underspent more than R170m of its urban settlement and development grant, leading to the deterioration of critical infrastructure and ongoing reliance on water tankers in Hammanskraal. “The tragic cholera outbreak, which claimed over 30 lives in Hammanskraal, is the legacy of Brink and the DA government.

“Furthermore, the city recorded R500m in fruitless and wasteful expenditure. The truth, which the mainstream media seems to be downplaying, is that the arrogant golden boy Brink and the DA ran an incompetent and corrupt government in Tshwane, and they deserve what’s been coming for them.”

Dunga accused the DA of prioritising service delivery in affluent areas, “neglecting” the townships. He urged the ANC and ActionSA, as well as other coalition partners in the city, to elect a government that would prioritise the needs of all residents. “We remain committed to the establishment of a stable, accountable and corruption-free government that serves the people with dignity and respect.”

TimesLIVE


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