Ramaphosa and South Africa’s new government under threat

Cilliers Brink’s ousting as Tshwane will have significant consequences for President Cyril Ramaphosa and South Africa’s government of national unity (GNU).

Last week, Cilliers Brink was removed as Tshwane mayor, a position which he held from 28 March 2023 until 26 September 2024.

Removing mayors in large metros with coalition governments is commonplace. However, this time it is different.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) said it attempted to persuade the ANC’s national leadership to withdraw the motion of no confidence in Brink.

“This would have enabled the future of the City of Tshwane to be deliberated under conditions of relative stability while the existing mayoral committee continued to perform its work,” it said.

“Had the ANC acceded to this request, there would have been time and opportunity to devise a settlement that would be in the best interest of the people of Tshwane and Gauteng.”

However, with the endorsement of its National Working Committee, the ANC actively gave the go-ahead for the motion of no confidence.

“It is clear that the anti-GNU faction of the ANC is gaining the upper hand in the party,” the DA said in a statement.

The party added that the ANC’s pro-GNU faction does not have the will and wherewithal to confront those hollowing out the party from within.

City Press reported that DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille sent a letter regarding the issue to the ANC’s Fikile Mbalula and David Makhura.

She said Brink’s removal as Tshwane mayor marks the end of progress made on cooperation between the ANC and DA for cooperation in metropolitan municipalities.

“The DA will now withdraw from these talks. The ANC must take responsibility for the ongoing chronic instability in these metros,” she said.

She added that the return of Cilliers Brink as executive mayor of Tshwane is non-negotiable for these talks to continue.

“The ANC must take note of the anger in the capital towards the parties responsible for the removal of Mayor Brink.”

The DA said in a statement that it will field Cilliers Brink as the mayoral candidate to continue making progress in Tshwane.

Political and economic analyst Frans Cronje said Brink’s ousting is a victory for the anti-GNU faction in the ANC and a blow to President Ramaphosa.

He explained that the ANC faction, which supports Ramaphosa, struck the GNU deal with the DA under Steenhuisen.

However, there are dissidents in the ANC who oppose the GNU deal and would prefer a deal with the EFF and MK.

“A nucleus of these dissidents exists in Gauteng, and they worked closely with ActionSA and Herman Mashaba to bring about the motion of no confidence in Brink,” he said.

As the motion was successful and Brink was removed, Ramaphosa and the pro-GNU group in the ANC have been defeated.

“That is extremely important. It is a little crack in the Government of National Unity,” Cronje told Biznews.

He added that this crack could run until December 2027, when the ANC selects its new leaders at its national conference.

The ANC could select a leader who would collapse the ANC-DA deal, which forms the foundation of the GNU.

Such a scenario could result in a deal between the ANC and Julius Malema’s EFF and Jacob Zuma’s MK parties.

“This means that a crack has opened, which could become a chasm that could signal the end of the GNU after 2027,” he said.

He added that the dissident faction has already kept the DA out of Johannesburg, which means they should be taken seriously.