Cilliers Brink
PRETORIA - Democratic Alliance (DA) Tshwane mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink has accused the ANC of planning to use a political "puppet" to influence the running of the City of Tshwane, rather than fielding its own mayoral candidate.
Brink launched a scathing attack on the ANC, accusing the party of undermining coalition-led governments in Tshwane and other cities since losing its majority.
"Since the ANC has lost its majority in Tshwane and other cities, it has done everything either to bring down the governments that we elected in its place or to sabotage them using a network of cadres and tenderpreneurs," he said.
"That is why they don't have a mayoral candidate. They don't need one. They're going to pick a puppet to do the fronting and they'll make the decisions," he added.
Brink is seeking to reclaim the Tshwane mayoral chain, having previously served as the city's executive mayor from March 2023 until September 2024.
He said the ANC must be "comprehensively defeated", adding that the DA's priorities would include restoring accountability, improving municipal services and tackling corruption.
"Our priority will be to fire corrupt officials and tenderpreneurs and replace them with honest, hardworking people.
"We will also restore law and order using crime-fighting technology, upgrade water, electricity, waste collection and public lighting through private partnerships, and use the assets of the city to draw investment to create jobs," Brink said.
He maintained that restoring Tshwane's administration would require leaders with integrity, claiming that the DA had not been implicated in allegations of corruption or political interference.
"No one from the DA has been mentioned at the Madlanga Commission. None of the DA councillors have been cited as interfering with tenders," he said.
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Brink also vowed to confront what he described as the city's "water tanker mafia", arguing that residents should have reliable access to water through their taps rather than depending on tanker services.
"We have to stand up to the water tanker mafia in this city. We need water in our taps, not via tankers," he said.