Councillor Dr Murunwa Makwarela was yesterday elected as Tshwane’s new mayor and resigned as speaker of council with immediate effect.

The multi-party coalition’s stability took a knock after the Cope member was nominated for mayor by the EFF and seconded for the position by the ANC.

Tshwane Councillor Cilliers Brink had been in the forefront for the position of Tshwane mayor, however, in a twist of events Makwarela was nominated.

Makwarela had previously denied that he would be running for mayor, but in a surprising move was nominated by a member of the EFF, which he accepted.

Makwarela received 112 votes, while Brink only received 101 from fellow councillors during the special council meeting.

The numbers did not amount to 214 as ward 105 was vacant.

Brink had been endorsed by the multiparty coalition, and aimed to bring back stability in Tshwane.

Brink was endorsed as a mayoral candidate last week by the multi-party coalition which held more than a 50% plus two majority in council.

The multiparty coalition had a public spat with Cope as speaker Makwarela, a Cope member, resolved to act on an urgent meeting to set a date for February 24 for a special election.

Makwarela had been a member of the multiparty coalition in Tshwane since the inception of the coalition government.

Makwarela, however, was seemingly removed as he had appeared to have aligned with the ANC and EFF.

According to the multiparty coalition this was in an effort to get elected as mayor, but Makwarela denies he is aligned to the EFF and ANC.

“I take note of the serious allegations made in the multiparty media statement, stating that I have now aligned myself with the ANC and the EFF in an effort to get elected as the mayor of the municipality. This is a misrepresentation of myself and my character. I have always been and will remain committed to this multiparty coalition.”

Makwarela now has to elect his mayoral committee after the previous one was dissolved after the resignation of Randall Williams.