ActionSA has welcomed the removal of City of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink, marking the end of what it calls the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) “failed” eight-year governance of the capital city. Tshwane councillors voted to oust Brink, and ActionSA hailed the decision as a victory for residents seeking better service delivery.
In a statement, ActionSA criticized Brink’s leadership, claiming that if he had been an ANC mayor, his performance would have been deemed “average” by those currently defending him. The party emphasized its involvement in Tshwane’s coalition government but admitted that its participation was in a “mediocre” administration that failed to meet the needs of the city’s residents.
“The DA has run Tshwane since 2016, holding key portfolios such as Utilities, which oversees essential services like water, electricity, sewage, and sanitation,” said ActionSA. The party argued that poor management in these areas contributed to the city’s decline under Brink’s leadership.
Recent market research commissioned by ActionSA indicated that only 36% of residents believed the city was moving in the right direction over the past 18 months, with 54% feeling conditions had worsened and 10% noticing no improvement. The disparity between suburban and township residents was particularly stark. While 64% of suburban residents saw an improvement in service delivery, only 24% of township respondents felt the same.
ActionSA highlighted this gap as a critical issue, pointing to Brink’s inability to serve township communities, which the party says form a significant part of the city’s population. “We were part of a coalition where the mayor, from a party with no constituency in the townships, failed to govern effectively,” ActionSA said.
The party has confirmed its Tshwane councillors teamed up with the ANC and other parties to vote Brink out of office. Within the next 14 days, ActionSA plans to collaborate again in electing a new executive mayor.