Tshwane saw a year of political shifts, from Cilliers Brink’s removal to Dr Nasiphi Moya’s rise as mayor, amid coalition struggles and financial turmoil.
It was a busy year in Tshwane, the capital of the country, with the rise of Action SA in the city, the fall of the DA and the removal of Cilliers Brink in 2024.
In January, the DA’s Brink kicked off the year as the mayor of the City of Tshwane and was critiqued when he announced the appointment of a deputy mayor, Action SA’s Dr Nasiphi Moya from Action SA.
There were many questions and concerns by workers and other councillors about the decision to appoint a deputy mayor in the City of Tshwane given the municipality’s state.
Moya paid back 10k owed to Tshwane
In February, Moya paid back R10 000 she owed the City of Tshwane and donated the interest to charity after the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) accused the newly elected deputy mayor, Moya, of pocketing R10 000 in spending money for a trip to South Arabia which she never too during her term in office as chief of staff.
The African National Congress’s (ANC) Kgoši Maepa posted on X that Brink would be jumping ship and resigning after he allegedly attended a DA interview for the selection of Members of Parliament for the 2024 elections, after which Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi called for intervention in the financially troubled city.
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Brink said he wasn’t going anywhere, and it was untrue that R2.6 billion in grants had been withdrawn from the city by the national government.
Brink also celebrated his first year in the hot seat in April, stating that he intended to remain in his role.
In April, Brink said the obstacles in the city were overcome by working together as a coalition government and as Tshwane residents.
Coalition government
“We have more that binds us and unites us than divides us,” he said, not knowing his fate later in the year.
Three months later, in July, the Tshwane ANC Caucus made its first attempt to table a motion of no confidence against Brink.
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At this point, the cracks of coalitions were busy showing as parties, but head-on at the local level, despite the national unity agreement, a motion of no confidence continued to loom over the city. The ANC-EFF coalition geared up to take on the DA coalition with mayor Brink.
In August, the Tshwane ANC regional secretary, George Matjila, confirmed that the party’s motion would be backed by ActionSA, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), and the EFF but would be temporarily withdrawn due to the DA’s court challenge.
However, the motion was temporarily put on ice in September while organisations and parties backing Brink fought to keep him in the hot seat.
Brink removed as mayor
In October, Brink was removed by a motion of no confidence after running the city for 18 months, after which Action SA’s Moya was elected as the new mayor of the city despite criticism and concerns.
In early November, Moya announced her mayoral committee, which included the EFF, which previously appealed against her appointment as the deputy mayor, while Brink and his coalition took the position as the official opposition and promised to make a comeback in 2026.
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