The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Gauteng has welcomed the removal of former City of Tshwane mayor Cilliers Brink, saying that it was long overdue as his leadership was filed up with poor service delivery.
Brink was removed officially from his position as the executive mayor of Tshwane during a council session at Tshwane House on Thursday, September 26.
This decision follows a motion of no confidence filed by the African National Congress (ANC) to the Tshwane speaker who informed Brink about the motion of no confidence.
The ANC contends that Brink has failed to address critical issues within the city, including persistent service delivery failures and mismanagement of public finances.
The vote to remove Brink resulted in 120 councillors in favour and 87 against, with one councillor abstaining.
The motion received support not only from the ANC but also from ActionSA, which is poised to form a coalition to take control of the city.
The EFF in Gauteng has expressed excitement over the removal of Brink, saying that it was long overdue.
The party’s provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga, said they had long advocated the removal of Brink, saying that he failed to manage service delivery, infrastructure, and finances in Tshwane.
Dunga said Brink’s tenure contributed to the City becoming the worst-performing metro in the country.
He said the removal signifies a significant victory for the residents of Hammanskraal, Mamelodi, Soshanguve, Atteridgeville, and Mabopane that have suffered from inadequate access to water and electricity and rampant crime under DA governance.
“It is also a victory for municipal workers whose legitimate concerns have been consistently and arrogantly dismissed by Cilliers Brink and the DA.”
Dunga said the recent Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke’s report highlighted the dire financial state of the metro under Brink.
Maluleke’s report pointed out incidents of mismanagement and maladministration of public funds in the metro.
But, she said the metro improved its outcome from an adverse audit opinion to a qualified opinion by taking steps to implement prior-year audit recommendations.
“The City repeatedly failed to submit timely reliable financial statements, resulting in qualified audit outcomes due to poor management and a lack of accountability under Cilliers Brink,” Dunga said.
In addition, he claimed that Tshwane metro received a disclaimer performance opinion, which revealed a complete absence of reliable systems to monitor essential services.
“Under Brink, the City spent over R170 million of its urban settlement and development grant, leading to the deterioration of critical infrastructure and ongoing reliance on water tankers in Hammanskraal.”
Dunga cited last years Cholera outbreak which claimed over 30 lives in Hammanskraal labelling it as the legacy of Cilliers Brink and the DA-led coalition government.
“Furthermore, the City recorded R500 million in fruitless and wasteful expenditure this financial year, stemming from corrupt practices.”
“Under Brink’s leadership, Tshwane accumulated over R6.8 billion in debt to Eskom and has also been struggling to meet its financial obligations to Rand Water.”
Dunga has accused the DA for being racially biased in service delivery, claiming that it has left black communities deprived of essential services, while suburban areas remain unaffected.
“The rampant crime in Soshanguve and Mamelodi, consistent water supply disruptions and unhygienic living conditions due to lack of proper waste collection system in townships across the city are some of the outcomes of the DA’s racially based service delivery model, the legacy of Cilliers Brink.”
He said the EFF welcomes the long-awaited removal of Brink and the collapse of his executive team.
In addition, Dunga has called on all political parties to act with “maturity” and urgency, in forming a new government that prioritises the needs of all Tshwane residents.
“We remain committed to the establishment of a stable, accountable, and corruption-free government that serves the people with dignity and respect,” he said.
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