Tshwane has been in free-fall for years, culminating in millions of irregular expenditure and the collapse of services and infrastructure across the metro under DA Mayor Randall Williams.

The GOOD Party will nonetheless support the DA candidate, Cilliers Brink, when the council elects Williams’ replacement today, because the last thing Tshwane needs is the kind of political manipulation and instability that led to the appointment of a lame-duck, or “placeholder”, mayor in Johannesburg.

Tshwane councillors must work in the best interests of the people of Tshwane, and the people of Tshwane’s best interests are not served by unstable coalition circuses of personal and political agendas.

Starting today, the councillors must focus on putting the City back on a stable path, and leave the pursuit of their own narrow personal and political interests behind them.

It’s expected that today’s vote will be tightly contested between Brink and Cope’s Dr Murunwa Makwarela. The ANC, with 34,6% of the vote in the city, is unlikely to put forward its own candidate in favour of supporting the Cope candidate.

Should the Cope candidate prevail in these circumstances it will effectively create another puppet Metro mayor, with the ANC pulling the strings.

We have seen municipalities and service delivery crumble under selfish political power-plays.

None of the options for Mayor of Tshwane are ideal. As elected representatives of the people, however, councillors have a duty to work together to raise what is a rapidly sinking ship.

GOOD will therefore vote for the Brink today, though the DA knows well that GOOD won’t hesitate to challenge it should its new Mayor falter.

GOOD’s position on today’s vote comes without any agreements, compromises or promises of positions. It is a position reached on principle in the best interests of the people.

 

Issued by GOOD: City of Tshwane Councillor Sarah Mabotsa