Tshwane DA’s mayoral candidate, Cilliers Brink wants his old job back, but says he won’t do it the old way.
The former mayor for the capital, was ousted after 18 months in office when his coalition collapsed.
He now says if voters give him a second chance on November 4 he will dump cadre deployment for competence, ribbon-cutting for real repairs, and coalition management for accountability.
Brink is seeking a return to office after serving for 18 months between March 2023 and September 2024. His administration collapsed after ActionSA withdrew its support and backed a new coalition.
Now, as the DA’s face in Tshwane for the 2026 local government elections, Brink says that experience taught him a hard lesson: a good team means nothing without political authority to execute.
“My experience as mayor taught me that a good team needs the authority and council support to carry through difficult decisions. That is why the mandate matters,” Brink told Africa Daily on Wednesday.
He blames Tshwane’s crisis on a toxic mix of corruption, coalition instability, weak accountability, neglected infrastructure and politically motivated appointments.
“We will change how the municipality works. Appoint people for their competence, give them clear performance targets and hold them accountable. Use technology to fight crime and monitor service delivery. Bring private expertise into electricity, water and other services, and work with organised communities to improve neighbourhoods,” he said.
At the centre of his pitch is a promise to fix what he calls the basics that have collapsed: electricity and water.
Brink said prolonged outages are no longer just an inconvenience but an economic and safety crisis, leading to spoiled food, lost income for small businesses and darker, more dangerous streets.
His solution is a funded repair and maintenance programme with clear ownership – someone responsible for making sure repairs actually happen – and honest communication with residents about outages instead of leaving them to WhatsApp groups for information.
Brink has outlined three priorities for his first 100 days if elected, a direct response to criticism that his previous term was cut short before reforms could take root.
First, a clean-up of the administration: put competent and honest professionals in charge of the city and trading services and act against officials implicated in corruption.
Second, a hard pivot of the budget towards electricity and water infrastructure, ensuring repairs and maintenance are properly funded.
Third, to fix command and control within the Tshwane Metro Police Department, with a focus on infrastructure theft, land invasions and crime in public spaces.
“The first 100 days must establish who is responsible, what must be delivered, and by when,” he said.
On finances, Brink argues residents cannot keep paying more for less. He says his administration will focus on recovering money owed to the city, cutting waste and stopping what he describes as corrupt contracts.
He points to his own track record as proof that tough budget choices work.
“During my mayoralty, our salary freeze saved approximately R600 million in one financial year. Budget choices matter,” Brink said.
“Residents cannot keep paying more for a municipality that delivers less. Every rand must work harder.”
He also wants to bring private investment and expertise into electricity, water and other services and make better use of municipal assets that are currently underperforming.
Brink says if voters give him a second chance, they should not judge him on promises but on whether their daily lives improve – fewer prolonged blackouts, more reliable water, streetlights that work, cleaner neighbourhoods and visible policing.
He has committed to publishing quarterly reports on progress against five manifesto commitments, with measurable targets and deadlines.
“Announcements and ribbon cuttings are easy. Getting the work done is what counts,” he said.