Former Tshwane mayor and DA Tshwane caucus leader Cilliers Brink cautions that the EFF’s presence in the municipality may contribute to its downfall.
This comes after Nasiphi Moya, the recently appointed mayor, revealed her mayoral committee members on Sunday.
She named Oratilwe Mashabela, the regional secretary of the EFF, the MMC for health, and Obakeng Ramabodu, the regional chairperson of the EFF, the MMC for environment and agricultural management.
These appointments, according to Brink, are a blow to economic expansion and sound governance.
After ActionSA broke off its coalition with other parties, he voiced concerns about the new alliance between the ANC and ActionSA in the city.
Party of violence
This change, according to Brink, is beginning to manifest itself and will empower the EFF.
“The EFF is a party of hate, violence, and chaos. Its national leadership is implicated in the theft of money from VBS Bank,” Brink said.
“One of the new EFF members of the mayoral committee is Obakeng Ramabodu, notorious for violent and racist outbursts on the floor of Tshwane’s city council.
“This will be in keeping with allegations made against the party for misgovernance in Gauteng’s other metros.”
Brink also predicted similar disputes in Tshwane by citing the City of Ekurhuleni, where ANC mayor Doctor Xhakaza dismissed EFF MMC for finance Nkululeko Dunga.
“It is difficult to see how mayor Moya, a junior partner in her own coalition government, will constrain the forces that have caused so much chaos and decay in Gauteng,” Brink said.
Residents must be treated with dignity
EFF Gauteng Chairperson Dunga said the party is confident in its members and that their appointments are a big step for the party and demonstrate its presence in all three Gauteng metros.
“We are committed to ensuring that all residents of Tshwane are reflected in their government and treated with dignity and respect they deserve,” said Dunga.
Over the next two years, the new government will strive to protect the dignity of every citizen, according to Moya.
The newly elected committee would meet for the first time this week to develop a plan for the city’s improvement, she said, promising accountability.
