By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Randall Williams has been elected Tshwane mayor unopposed.
In a surprise move, the ANC announced during Tuesday’s council that it would not participate in the election of the council’s office bearers, effectively handing over the keys to the city to the DA’s Williams and speaker, Katlego Mathebe.
Williams’s election follows that of fellow DA councillors Mpho Phalatse as mayor of Johannesburg and Tania Campbell as mayor of Ekurhuleni, on Monday. The DA failed to win an outright majority in any of the three metros, but was handed a lifeline by the EFF and ActionSA when the two parties voted with the DA to elect their mayoral candidates in the Gauteng metros and in Nelson Mandela Bay.
This is despite the coalition talks between the three parties collapsing in the run-up to the first sitting of the councils following the November 1 municipal polls.
Williams said the political parties needed to put aside their differences and move towards working for the people of the capital.
He said Tshwane needed to have “sound processes in place” to ensure that council delivers on its mandate to the people of the city.
Meanwhile eThekwini Municipality will reconvene the Inaugural Council Meeting which had to prematurely close due to a power outage on 22 November at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
The council meeting will take place at 14:00 on Wednesday. The newly elected Speaker, Councillor Thabani Nyawose will preside over the meeting that will see the nomination, election, and swearing in of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and the Chief Whip of Council.
The Independent Electoral Commission will oversee the election proceedings.