3 days ago
- Politics
- The South African
DA's Brink accepts Tshwane mayor bid to root out corruption
The Democratic Alliance's (DA's) Cilliers Brink has accepted the party's nomination as mayoral candidate for Tshwane, declaring that he wants to 'strike fear into the hearts of the corrupt.'
He said he plans to root out corruption and tenderpreneurs in the city ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Brink accepted the nomination on Friday, 15 August, vowing to take back the city from criminals, improve service delivery, rebuild infrastructure, and attract investment.
In his acceptance speech, Brink criticised the African National Congress (ANC), claiming the party dismantled Tshwane's internal systems and deployed its own cadres into management positions. He also alleged that the ANC treated the city as 'an automated cash machine.'
The mayoral candidate said that under DA leadership, Tshwane's audit outcomes and financial sustainability had improved. However, he claimed that it quickly changed.
'As soon as the DA and our coalition partners were removed from office, Tshwane started falling behind on the revenue collection targets of the budget funding plan. In July, the city ended the 2024/25 financial year with a R857 million deficit,' said Brink.
He emphasised that only voters could bring about change in the city, stressing the need for strong leadership. Brink pledged to focus on fighting crime, eradicating corruption, restoring water and electricity infrastructure, and delivering value for money.
The City of Tshwane has faced a string of governance challenges. Most recently, executive mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya and municipal manager Johann Mettler found themselves embroiled in scandal.
They were ordered to be imprisoned for one month and suspended for a year. This came after the city failed to comply with a court order regarding the investment of R18 million in the Tshwane Fresh Produce Market.
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