By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Floyd Brink has been appointed as Johannesburg city manager for the second time on Thursday, after months of delay in filing the position.
Brink has been ousted from the position twice before, after the courts ruled that his 2023 and 2024 appointments were irregular.
According to the recommendations at the council, Brink will start his tenure on 1 November, “or as soon as possible thereafter”.
Brink’s appointment was described as a strategic move and a testament to its commitment to robust leadership and effective governance as it continues to advance its developmental agenda, focusing on inclusivity, sustainability, and resilience.
The scoresheet showed Brink was at number 1, Dr Msizi Myeza at number 2 (he is CEO of the Council for the Built Environment) and city COO Tshepo Makola at number 3 in the race.
A city manager is a crucial administrator for a metropolitan government. This incumbent is the senior bureaucrat to fix often dysfunctional financial, IT and facilities systems, which can leave citizens in the lurch. In Johannesburg, the metro needs a specifically talented bureaucrat because of its odd structure, where all services are delivered (or often not) by entities run by their own boards, such as Johannesburg Water, City Power, The Johannesburg Roads Agency and Pikitup.
In 2013, Brink was arrested in a crackdown on pothole and road repair corruption when he worked as a senior manager in the Limpopo Department of Roads and Transport. This featured Julius Malema and company’s first foray into enrichment when he was president of the ANC Youth League. Brink was subsequently acquitted.
Brink holds a Master of Business Administration from MANCOSA and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in financial management from the University of the Free State.
In addition, he has a National Diploma in Engineering and recently completed a PhD qualification, which underscores his unwavering commitment to academic and professional excellence.
Meanwhile Johannesburg Progressive Caucus has expressed its decision to support Mayor Dada Morero.
During a media briefing on Thursday, the Caucus said they were not part of the motion of no confidence against Morero and had formally withdrawn from the minority governing coalition that included Al Jama-ah, ATM, UDM, and AHC.
“We do not support or associate ourselves with any political processes or actions led by those parties… This position was formally communicated in writing through correspondence dated October 18, 2025,” the group said.
The motion of no confidence itself was formally submitted to Johannesburg City Council Speaker Margaret Arnolds by the Minority Governing Parties (MGP), a grouping of smaller parties that were previously part of the ANC-led coalition government.
The MGP argues that their motion is not aimed at the ANC but rather at “restoring accountability and lawful governance” to the city.