The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Wednesday called for the removal of City of Joburg (CoJ) city manager Floyd Brink after the South Gauteng High Court ruled that his reappointment had been “unconstitutional, unlawful and invalid”.

DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the court upheld what the party had maintained since Brink’s “problematic” tenure began.

The DA challenged Brink's appointment in court after the African National Congress (ANC)/Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF)/ Patriotic Alliance (PA)/ActionSA coalition supported it.

The court ordered that Brink must vacate his office within 10 days.

“Any employment contract or performance contract between the CoJ and now former city manager, Floyd Brink, has been set aside. Not only has his reappointment been set aside and declared unlawful, but Judge Wilson has also awarded the DA costs in this matter,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.

“In one fell swoop the court has upheld what the DA has maintained since Brink’s problematic tenure began – the Doomsday Coalition in the CoJ’s illegal and unconstitutional conduct will not stand.”

She said the CoJ had received an “expensive education” in the rule of law.

“This, at the cost of residents in the City who are forced to watch their service delivery dilapidate before their eyes, while a broken coalition does everything in their power to protect an inept, and illegally appointed cadre,” she said.

“Due to the DA’s court challenge for the rule of law, Johannesburg is finally rid of Floyd Brink - someone who presided over large-scale devastation, and previously unknown levels of service delivery collapse. This is an appointee who the City’s ANC/ActionSA/EFF/PA executive has been protecting. They have been handed a stunning judicial lesson today: ActionSA/ANC/EFF/PA – you cannot break the law and get away with it,” she added.