Pretoria - Former DA MP Cilliers Brink, who recently resigned from the National Assembly in hopes of becoming the new Tshwane mayor, will now become an ordinary councillor and lead his party’s caucus leader in the capital.
DA Caucus Chairperson in the City, Jacqui Uys, spoke to IOL and confirmed Brink’s new position.
Brink lost the mayoral race position to Cope councillor Dr Murunwa Makwarela.
Brink received 101 out of 213 votes, while Makwarela managed to secure 112 of the votes cast.
Brink was sworn in as a councillor just last week.
Before leaving Parliament, he served as that party’s spokesperson on cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
Introducing the DA’s Tshwane Mayoral Candidate, Cilliers Brink. His candidacy has also been endorsed by the multi-party coalition.
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) February 21, 2023
Cilliers was first elected a councillor in Tshwane in 2011, and served as member of the mayoral committee in 2016, and later became a DA MP in 2019. pic.twitter.com/b9e7tUL7DG
Following his loss, the multi-party coalition in the City of Tshwane, which includes the DA, FF+ and ActionSA, expressed its disappointment at the election of the new mayor saying they will have him removed through a motion of no confidence.
Coalition partners spokesperson Dr Corné Mulder said the election of mayors and speakers under the secret ballot required in legislation has created a culture of bribery in municipal councils.
“All parties within the coalition will work to identify those who sold out the residents of Tshwane and the coalition. These councillors will be removed and replaced with urgency ahead of a motion of no confidence that will be tabled to remove Makwarela from his ill-gotten office,” Mulder said in a statement.
He added that the coalition would announce developments and timing of the planned steps in the near future.
IOL