Mixed responses to Floyd Brink being reappointed Jo’burg city manager

By Johnathan Paoli

The reappointment of Floyd Brink as Johannesburg city manager has garnered mixed responses from opposition and coalition parties, with the Democratic Alliance (DA) accusing the African National Congress (ANC)-led coalition of politicising a position that should serve the city’s residents, not internal party factions.

Brink’s return, confirmed during a tense council meeting on Thursday, comes less than a year after the Gauteng High Court declared his previous appointment unconstitutional, unlawful, and invalid, following a DA court challenge.

Despite this, the ANC and its coalition partners in the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Patriotic Alliance (PA) voted to reinstate Brink, citing his “proven administrative leadership” and experience.

The DA – which has consistently said that Brink is not qualified for the post and that the process to appoint him was not sound — abstained from the vote, saying it refused to participate in an “ANC factional power play”.