Democratic Alliance Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink has accused Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya of entrenching the city’s reliance on water tankers instead of fixing failing infrastructure.

Brink made the statements on Wednesday, a day before Moya is to deliver her state of the capital address on Thursday.

His criticism follows the collapse of a community meeting in Hammanskraal earlier this week, after Moya failed to arrive.  

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Convened to update residents on water supply problems, the meeting was instead led by Community Safety MMC Hannes Coetzee and was adjourned after disruptions.

Moya later apologised and said she had been delayed at another engagement, and that when she was “on my way” she was told meeting was adjourned “for safety reasons”.

“The community erupted in anger and understandably so. This was the kind of anger that comes from being lied to and ignored by the people in authority,” Brink said.

He said Moya’s planned address would offer only a superficial “jet-packer treatment” to residents, while avoiding difficult questions over corruption and service delivery failures.

“One thing that cannot be hidden is that under Mayor Moya’s administration, Tshwane has gone backward,” he said.

Brink accused the ANC, which he said had “returned to power” with the backing of coalition partners including ActionSA and the EFF, of driving up expenditure on water tankers to formalised areas from R140 million to R777 million.

While frequently reported, that amount has been challenged by Deputy Executive Mayor and Finance MMC Eugene Modise, who has said it does not reflect actual verified spending.

Brink also slammed the city’s high water losses. Non-revenue water sits at about 39.1%, according to the city itself, with an annual loss of about R1.7 billion.

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“Worse still, as these leaks worsen, the demand for water tankers increases,” Brink said.

“Unless the cycle is broken, the water tanker mafia will not stop in the communities currently being serviced by water tankers.”

Brink also lashed out at senior leaders in the governing coalition, including Modise, who has been accused of having links to companies that have been awarded water tanker contracts.

 “We must end the coalition chaos and the ongoing changing of mayors that undermine every effort to get our city working,” Brink said.

“Only then can we deliver on a programme that stops corruption, improves delivery, creates jobs and opportunities for ordinary people, and truly transforms the way of life of people who live here.”

Brink said the local government election would be about more than control of the metro, adding that residents needed to reclaim the city from “criminal syndicates” and patronage networks.

“If residents want to end the tanker economy, fix our city’s infrastructure and stop Tshwane’s decline, they must vote for a party that is prepared to fight for this city,” Brink said.

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Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya has announced a multi-party mayoral committee, marking what she says is a new era of cooperation and determination to restore the city to its former glory.

In a press briefing on Sunday, Moya unveiled the 10-member committee. It comprises representatives from the African National Congress, the Economic Freedom Fighters, the Good party and ActionSA.

Outlining the committee’s priorities, she said: “The provision of quality basic services is not a matter of politics, but of principle. We owe every resident this fundamental dignity.”

The committee has identified six key focus areas to drive progress in the city.

They include revitalisation, safety and security, economic development and job creation, infrastructure investment and inclusive service delivery, energy and financial sustainability, and good governance and responsive public services.

Moya praised the leadership of the political parties for putting forward their best candidates.

“You promised us your best, and indeed, knowing the credentials of these colleagues, you have indeed put your best forward,” she said.

The mayor assured residents that the committee would work tirelessly to provide essential services and address long-standing issues. 

“We will prioritise the following areas… to ensure that we meet this objective and this task will be shared by all members of this mayoral committee,” Moya said.

Moya was elected as the new mayor in a special council meeting in Pretoria this week, following the Democratic Alliance’s Cilliers Brink being removed through an ANC-sponsored no-confidence vote two weeks ago.

She is a member of ActionSA and served as the deputy mayor under Brink.

On Sunday, the DA slammed the newly formed mayoral committee, labelling it as a  “coalition of chaos” after Moya allocated two seats to the EFF.

Brink, who is the DA’s Tshwane caucus leader, warned that the EFF’s involvement would spell disaster for good governance and pro-growth initiatives in the city.

“The EFF is a party of hate, violence and chaos, and their national leadership is implicated in the theft of money from VBS Bank,” Brink said in a statement.

He said DA would work with parties that have not joined the coalition to protect Tshwane’s progress. It would announce a team of councillors to hold the new “ANC-EFF coalition to account”.

He also questioned Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi’s presence at the announcement, claiming it raised concerns about the mayor’s ability to lead effectively.

“The people of Tshwane deserve better than a coalition that prioritises politics over good governance,” Brink said.

The mayoral committee’s first official meeting is expected to take place in the coming days.

The committee members are:

• Palesa Modise (ANC) – Community and Social Development Services
• Sarah Mabotsa (Good) – Economic Development and Spatial Planning
• Obakeng Ramabodu (EFF) – Environment and Agriculture Management
• Eugene Modise (ANC) – Finance
• Tshegofatso Mashabela (EFF) – Health
• Kholofelo Morodi (ActionSA) – Corporate and Shared Services
• Aaron Maluleka (ANC) – Housing and Human Settlements
• Tlangi Mogale (ANC) – Roads and Transport
• Frans Boshielo (ANC) – Utility Services
• Alderman Coetzee (ActionSA) – Community Safety

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ActionSA’s Nasiphi Moya has been elected as the new mayor of Tshwane in a special council meeting in Pretoria on Wednesday.

Moya secured a decisive victory with 122 votes, outpacing her rival, DA’s Cilliers Brink who garnered 86 votes.

She received support from the ANC, EFF and other political parties. The Freedom Front Plus backed Cilliers.

This comes after Brink, who held the position for 18 months, was removed through an ANC-sponsored no-confidence vote two weeks ago.

Moya and Brink were nominated for the position.

She has now handed in her resignation letter as the deputy mayor.

The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) has welcomed  Moya’s election.

Samwu’s Precious Theledi said Moya’s leadership was expected to bring about long-overdue transformation, addressing the inequalities and divisions perpetuated by the previous DA-led coalition. 

“We urge the new leadership of Tshwane to take decisive action to address the city’s challenges,” Theledi emphasised.

According to Samwu, the previous administration’s policies prioritised affluent areas, neglecting marginalised communities and denying workers salary increases, which forced many into financial hardship. 

The union demanded immediate action, including the withdrawal of the city’s review application concerning the 5.4% salary increase from 2023 and the reinstatement of unjustly dismissed workers. 

With Moya at the helm, Theledi said the union hoped to rebuild healthy employer-employee relations and restore Tshwane to its former glory.

Ahead of the election, the ANC announced that it would back Moya.

ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu Motsiri described Moya as the best candidate to lead Tshwane.

“This is based on the strength of her experience and her qualifications. We appeal to the people of Tshwane to support Dr Nasiphi Moya and the new leadership team that is putting the capital city on a new path of better  governance, service delivery and inclusive growth,” said Motsiri. 

She said as the largest party in the council, the ANC remained the leader of the multiparty coalition government that would be established in Tshwane over the next few days.

In response to DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille reportedly threatening that if Brink was not reinstated, the party would withdraw from ongoing negotiations to stabilise metros, Motsiri asserted the ANC’s independence, stating: “We do not answer to her, and we will not be intimidated.”

As the city’s political landscape continues to evolve, the ANC said it remained open to future discussions with other parties, cautioning against intimidation.

ANC Gauteng chairperson Panyaza Lesufi emphasised the importance of continuity in Tshwane, pointing to Moya, who was the current deputy mayor and acting mayor, as the embodiment of this stability.

“You can’t bring a complete new person when you have almost 18 months to go to elections,” Lesufi said.

Before the vote, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba described the ANC as “the lead party” in their relationship in Tshwane. He said the parties would cooperate to bring in Moya as mayor.

Earlier on, EFF Gauteng chairperson Nkululeko Dunga revealed ongoing discussions to form a coalition government in Gauteng, where the ANC would lead Johannesburg, ActionSA would be at helm Tshwane, and the EFF would over Ekurhuleni to bring stability to local government in the province.

This could not be verified at the time of publishing.

Meanwhile, the FF Plus has expressed its willingness to facilitate talks between the DA and ANC if approached.

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