As Tshwane’s new mayoral committee takes office, experts discuss the potential challenges and opportunities for improving governance and overcoming corruption allegations.
Only time will tell if the appointment of the new mayoral committee by City of Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya would turn around the capital, according to experts.
There was mixed reaction to the announcement on Sunday, which included five ANC members, two EFF members, two from Action SA and one member from the Good party.
DA Tshwane caucus leader Cilliers Brink said the ANC-EFF-ActionSA mayoral committee was bad news for good government, adding the two seats given to the EFF in Moya’s committee were bad news for clean administration and a pro-growth agenda.
Mayoral committee ‘bad news for good government’ in Tshwane
Brink said the DA would announce its team of councillors who would be responsible for holding the ANC/EFF coalition to account later this month.
Political analyst Dr Benjamin Rapanyane however said the committee should be allowed to prove itself in office.
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“The accusations levelled against the ANC of pulling strings can be observed by the majority of the members being ANC affiliates, but cannot stand now since the mayor has just assumed office,” he said.
Another analyst, Daniel Silke, said he would describe it as anything but the DA administration.
“It looks like the ANC in Gauteng and ActionSA and EFF are very happy to pursue anything but DA strategy which, in a sense, brings them together.
Anything but the DA
Silke said time would tell the new administration’s effectiveness and whether it can overcome allegations of corruption, ineptitude, service delivery and infrastructure failure.
Yet another political analyst, Piet Croucamp, said some would describe the positions allocated as part of a form of agenda.
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“Even health is a sensitive portfolio for the ANC but was allocated to the EFF, which has very specific ideas about how private health should work,” he said.
Political analyst Khanya Vilakazi said the new committee in Tshwane signified a moment of inclusion without the DA, not only at provincial level, but also at national level.
Vilakazi said at the end of the day, the GNU could remain without the DA.
GNU could remain without DA
“If that happens it could be a test of the GNU that it can exist outside the scope of the DA and, if so, it’s something of great interest,” he said.
Vilakazi said the City of Ekurhuleni could become a catalyst for such an experiment.
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