Mayor of Tshwane Cilliers Brink. (Deaan Vivier/Gallo Images)
- The ANC has submitted its third motion of no confidence this year in Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink.
- The first two motions submitted earlier this year, were withdrawn before they were put to a vote.
- The latest motion comes amid political strife in the DA-led coalition, as ActionSA is reviewing its position.
The ANC in Tshwane has submitted yet another motion of no confidence in Mayor Cilliers Brink, as the future of the multiparty coalition running the capital city remains uncertain.
The motion, submitted by ANC councillor Frans Boshielo to the speaker on 3 September, is the ANC’s third attempt at ousting Brink and, by extension, the multiparty coalition, which consists of the DA, ActionSA, FF Plus, IFP and the ACDP.
Motivating for the motion, Boshielo said the City was experiencing a number of challenges because of Brink’s inability to prove necessary leadership and political guidance.
He said the challenges included money to the tune of R6 billion being owed to Eskom and the late submission of five quarterly audit performance committee reports.
History of no-confidence motions
The latest motion is the third brought by the ANC since the start of the year.
The first motion, dated 22 July, was withdrawn, while the second, on 27 August, suffered the same fate.
The second motion was withdrawn after the DA approached the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria at the end of August in a bid to have the motions declared unlawful.
The DA wanted the motions set aside, arguing unlawfulness and procedural irrationality.
READ | ActionSA in Tshwane withdraws motion of no confidence in speaker, uncertainty over coalition deepens
The court challenge was rendered moot when the ANC withdrew the motions.
On the day that the second motion was meant to be heard in council, Tshwane ANC regional secretary George Matjila held a briefing with other political parties, where they said consensus had been reached to vote Brink out.
Regarding the legal challenge, Matjila said they would withdraw the motion temporarily to “deal with the side issues”, but that the motion would return.
The ANC have now made good on that promise. However, if the motion is put to a vote in the council, it remains to be seen whether they will have the numbers to remove the DA-led coalition from power.
Political fallout
News24 previously reported that the ANC was flanked by councillors from ActionSA, the EFF and ACDP at a press briefing.
ActionSA regional chairperson Jackie Mathabathe and the ACDP’s Ronald Morake were part of the briefing where it was communicated that an agreement had been reached to vote Brink out.
However, the national leadership of ActionSA and ACDP distanced themselves from the apparent agreement and comments made at the briefing by their councillors in Tshwane.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party’s senate would decide whether it joined or left a coalition.
Despite this, the party is currently reviewing its position in the coalition.
ALSO READ | ActionSA says its position in Tshwane is still under review, despite what regional leadership says
Last week, the coalition held a press briefing without ActionSA, which declined the invite as its position within the alliance was under review.
According to the coalition, minus ActionSA, there has been no complaint by the party or notice that it intends to review its position with the possibility of leaving.
Beaumont told News24 that ActionSA’s overarching concern was the regression in service delivery, particularly in the townships.
The impasse within the coalition has also played out on social media.
On Thursday, Brink posted on X that:
If you’re a partner in a coalition government, you assume co-responsibility for results, and you take hands with colleagues to resolve problems. You don’t blame your partners for challenges and then claim credit for the successes. Stop the hypocrisy and shameless antics to…
— Cilliers Brink (@CilliersB) September 5, 2024
This appears to be a response to multiple posts by ActionSA, with Beaumont conducting oversight visits in Tshwane, criticising the City.
On such post read:
National Chairperson @ME_Beaumont is conducting an oversight visit at the Chantelle Social Housing Project in Pretoria North, which remains incomplete and abandoned despite the City of Tshwane investing millions in its development. The City is clearly not interested in prioritising the completion of this project to deliver on its promise of providing safe and affordable housing to the residents of Tshwane. This is why we are conducting a review of our working relationship within the governing coalition in Tshwane.
Meanwhile, ACDP released a statement saying it was not part of the opposition caucus and would not support a no-confidence motion in the current Tshwane mayor.
The ANC’s latest motion is expected to be put to a vote during the ordinary council sitting on 26 September.
