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Will DA retain Tshwane following Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni outcomes?
On Monday, the EFF and ActionSA voted to elect two of DA's candidates as mayors of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
City of Tshwane council meeting. Picture: Gallo Images / Sowetan / Sandile Ndlovu)
The City of Tshwane on Monday morning held its first council meeting following the conclusion of the 2021 local government elections.
Mayoral race
As the swearing in of 214 councillors who form part of the Tshwane council, the focus on the agenda will be on the election of a speaker, mayor and chief whip for the City.
All eyes will be on the DA’s Randall Williams and ANC’s Frans Boshielo, who go head-to-head for the mayor position alongside ActionSA’s candidate, Abel Tau.
Boshielo was announced as a Tshwane’s mayoral candidate on Sunday following speculation over who might replace Williams.
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Williams, who took over the reins from Stevens Mokgalapa last year, is in pole position to be mayor again following Monday’s developments in other metros.
In the City of Johannesburg, the DA’s candidate Mpho Phalatse was elected as mayor of the metro on Monday, while Tania Campbell takes over from outgoing Ekurhuleni mayor Mzwandile Masina.
The DA was backed by the likes of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), ActionSA and other smaller parties, although the party previously refused to work in a minority coalition government.
Despite the breakdown in the coalition talks, opposition parties opted to put the DA in power in both cities.
The turmoil that has recently plagued Tshwane will also be the spotlight should the DA takeover the metro.
The DA and the ANC did not get a majority in the 2016 municipal elections, which led to a disruptive governing period.
The metropolitan municipality was placed under administration following the collapse of DA’s coalition with the EFF after the Red Berets’ councillors walked out of several council meetings.
READ MORE: Did EFF outfox DA and ANC in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni?
The decision was later overturned by the Pretoria High Court in April 2020.
The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) had also ruled in the DA’s favour in October 2020, and confirmed the Pretoria High Court’s ruling.
The Constitutional Court (ConCourt) further ruled last month that the Gauteng provincial government’s decision to place the city under administration was unlawful.
