There will no longer be blue lights municipal vehicles, personal bodyguards and mayoral perks for Cilliers Brink.
This after he was unceremoniously ousted as the City of Tshwane’s first citizen on Thursday afternoon at the municipal chambers.
The ANC ganged up with the EFF, PA and ActionSA to boot out Brink from his position.
After the motion was passed, a visibly satisfied ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba told Tshwane Talks that the removal of Brink was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Tshwane, South Africa and the marginalised people.
“Things are going to happen now in Tshwane and please give us 14 days and we will ensure that we work as quickly as possible with the ANC to conclude an arrangement for this new government in Tshwane, but one thing I can tell you is that I made it clear to the ANC that I will enter into talks with them only if Dr Nasiphi Moya takes over the position of the Mayor,” said Mashaba.
Moya served as Deputy Mayor of the City of Tshwane until today when Brink was chucked out of his position.
Mashaba emphasised that removing Brink was not about settling old scores, but still mentioned an old incident regarding how “DA Councillors spoiled their votes last year in March and denied ActionSA a chance to assume the position of City of Tshwane Council Speaker.”
He stressed that all the brilliant work in Tshwane has actually been done by Dr Moya and not Cilliers Brink as some people would like to believe.
“This is a great victory for the people of Tshwane and the workers here have been crying for a long time and for the past eight years we have been receiving complaints from residents who indicated that the last time they received good services was eight years ago under then mayor Sputla Ramokgopa,” said ANC official TK Nciza.
“We are a revolutionary party and we care about the people and that is why we are taking over Tshwane even if it is experiencing financial problems,” he said.
Council Speaker Mncedi Ndzwanana, who as speaker is supposed to be neutral, surprisingly came out in support of the motion of no confidence against Brink at a media conference held immediately after the vote of no confidence in Brink.
Ndzwanana said the following:
“This is a big day for me, we reached this point regarding the motion of no confidence because of lack of service delivery in some parts of Tshwane.”.
“Some of the things we are doing in Council, like the motion of no confidence in Brink, won’t please some people but we had to do it anyway because the motion of no confidence in Brink gives confidence to the community of Tshwane,” enthused Ndzwanana.
Ndzwanana even voted in an open vote for Brink to be removed.
“If I hadn’t voted for Brink to go, then the people of Tshwane would not take me seriously going forward,” said a joyful Ndzwanana.
SAMWU Tshwane Regional Secretary Precious Theledi told Tshwane Talks that under Brink’s administration SAMWU was suffering and its members were not paid salary increases for two years.
Theledi announced that the in-coming administration in Tshwane must be mindful of the fact that the municipality owes SAMWU members outstanding salary increases and must also pay up new increases as per the recently wage negotiations with SALGA on or before 26 October this year.
Theledi complained that some City of Tshwane Metro Police were being persecuted and subjected to disciplinary hearings for on- work offences that took place as far back as 2018 and being fired from work.
Another politician blamed Brink for seeking to reverse the gains of 1994 that were ushered in by democracy as he is racist and described him as the mayor that never was.
An EFF official announced that the EFF now wants to show its leadership prowess by taking over various portfolio committee positions and MMC positions in several municipalities including Tshwane and gave his approval for the removal of Brink.
“Today we are vindicated, we have always said Brink doesn’t want to offer services to the people living in townships and informal settlements and I am saying this because his biggest coalition partner ActionSA has proven that they can’t work with him,” said Lotus Atteridgeville Saulsville Civics Association leader Tshepo Mahlangu.
“We have always said that Brink is arrogant and incompetent and this is not about racism but service delivery and we want our debts to be scrapped,” he said.
As Brink left the Council building cutting a lonesome figure, several municipal workers booed him as they took photos abd video of him, making it clear to him that they were happy to see him removed from the position of mayor.
PCC region 6 welcome the outcome of the tshwane council removing brink as a city Moyer