DA Announces Cilliers Brink as Tshwane Mayoral Candidate for 2026 Elections

DA Announces Cilliers Brink as Tshwane Mayoral Candidate for 2026 Elections

In a strategic move ahead of the 2026 local government elections, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has announced former mayor Cilliers Brink as the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Tshwane, emphasising the need to rescue the capital from financial mismanagement and poor governance under the current ANC-led coalition.

Pretoria – In a strategic move ahead of the 2026 local government elections, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader John Steenhuisen has announced former mayor Cilliers Brink as the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Tshwane, emphasising the need to rescue the capital from financial mismanagement and poor governance under the current ANC-led coalition. Speaking at a ceremony in Pretoria on Thursday morning, 15 August 2025, Steenhuisen highlighted Brink’s proven track record during his 18-month tenure from March 2023 to September 2024, when he stabilised finances, improved service delivery, and invested in townships. The announcement comes amid calls within the DA for strong candidates in key metros, including speculation about federal council chairperson Helen Zille potentially running for Johannesburg mayor, as the party aims to capitalise on its governance successes to challenge ANC dominance in urban centres. With Tshwane’s debt exceeding R28 billion and recent court rulings setting aside irregular tax levies, Steenhuisen urged residents to vote DA to prevent further decline, positioning the 2026 polls as a pivotal battle for accountable leadership and economic revival in South Africa’s municipalities.

Steenhuisen’s Speech and Critique of Tshwane’s Current State

During the event, Steenhuisen delivered an impassioned address, greeting the audience in multiple languages – “Dumelang, Goeiemore, Good morning!” – and praising Tshwane’s diversity as a melting pot of cultures and home to the world’s second-highest number of diplomatic missions after Washington DC. He stressed the city’s role in shaping South Africa’s global image, warning that poor governance could harm investment and prosperity.
Steenhuisen accused the ANC of making Tshwane “ungovernable” since ousting the DA-led coalition in September 2024, with assistance from the EFF and ActionSA. He detailed the financial deterioration: from a R200 million surplus a decade ago to a R4 billion deficit, with debt ballooning above R28 billion. “The only months that Tshwane met the revenue targets in the last year was when it had a DA mayor – July, August, and September 2024,” he said, blaming the coalition for failing to collect revenue and imposing additional taxes amid rising living costs.

The Gauteng High Court recently set aside the coalition’s irregular levy, providing relief to residents but exposing governance failures. Steenhuisen criticised wastewater treatment procurement lapses, conflicts of interest like ANC deputy mayor Bonzo Modise’s undeclared business ties, and ActionSA mayor Nasiphi Moya’s proposal to allocate City Hall to Iran, a nation linked to terrorism and human rights abuses.

He contrasted this with Brink’s achievements: stabilising finances through the #TshwaneYaTima revenue drive, leasing Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations to cut load-shedding, upgrading wastewater in Hammanskraal, fixing potholes and lighting, building 1,200 houses in Marabastad, launching artisan internships, and investing in townships – R60 million for Soshanguve power, R20 million for Mamelodi roads, R42 million for Ga-Rankuwa stormwater, and R90 million for the Wonderboom bus facility.

“The numbers don’t lie: everywhere the DA governs, from Cape Town to Coega, to Midvaal to uMngeni – the DA delivers,” Steenhuisen declared, urging voters to make the DA the largest party in coalitions for sustained progress.

Cilliers Brink: Profile and Past Tenure

Cilliers Brink, born on 12 June 1987, is a lawyer with a master’s in public administration from the University of Cape Town. He entered politics as a DA councillor in 2011, serving as shadow minister for cooperative governance before becoming Tshwane’s youngest mayor at 35 in March 2023. His term focused on financial recovery, cutting wasteful spending, and ethical appointments, earning praise for transparency but criticism from opposition for perceived bias towards affluent areas.
Brink was removed in September 2024 via a no-confidence motion backed by ANC, EFF, and ActionSA, amid disputes over service delivery and coalition stability. Since then, he has led the DA caucus in Tshwane, advocating for reforms. Steenhuisen introduced him as someone with “a proven track record,” who “loves this city” and will fight for clean streets, reliable water, electricity, and jobs.

DA’s Strategy for 2026 Elections and Metro Focus
The announcement aligns with the DA’s preparations for the 2026 local polls, set for between November 2026 and January 2027. The party opened mayoral applications in March 2025 for Gauteng and Free State metros, seeking “passionate, committed, and skilled” candidates. Steenhuisen tied the Tshwane bid to the DA’s six-point economic plan announced on Monday, 11 August 2025, aimed at turbocharging growth through deregulation, job creation, and infrastructure for pensioners, businesses, and graduates.

With just five seats separating the DA and ANC in Tshwane’s council, Steenhuisen stressed voter turnout: “In a race this close, your vote can change everything.” He encouraged registration, warning of more “irregular tenders, poor service delivery, cadre deployment, and corruption” under the coalition.

The DA is also eyeing other metros. In Johannesburg, federal council chairperson Helen Zille expressed interest in June 2025, saying “I’ll do anything to save this city,” sparking debates. Gauteng DA leader Solly Msimanga confirmed no formal discussions yet, but Zille’s experience as former Cape Town mayor and Western Cape premier makes her a strong contender. ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, Johannesburg’s mayor from 2016 to 2019 under a DA coalition, opposed her bid, claiming it shows the DA’s lack of faith in black excellence. The MK Party rejected it as “nonsensical,” while analysts like Ebrahim Harvey tipped Zille as Johannesburg’s “best hope” for 2026 due to her grit and vision.

Tshwane’s Challenges and DA’s Rescue Plan
Tshwane’s woes include a R28 billion debt to Eskom and Rand Water, irregular expenditure exceeding R10 billion in 2024, and service breakdowns like water shortages in Hammanskraal and frequent power outages. The coalition’s tax hikes were struck down by the Gauteng High Court in July 2025, forcing budget revisions. Wastewater issues persist, with Rooiwal plant upgrades stalled, leading to pollution in rivers.

Steenhuisen blamed the ANC for state capture and cadre deployment pre-2016, and post-DA ousting for unethical behaviour. The DA’s plan under Brink includes ethical procurement, township investments, and sustainable energy to create jobs and improve lives.

Reactions and Political Implications

The announcement drew mixed responses. ANC Tshwane chairperson Kgosi Maepa dismissed it as “desperate,” claiming Brink neglected townships. ActionSA’s Moya defended her administration, accusing the DA of hypocrisy. EFF spokesperson Leigh-Ann Mathys called it a “return to white minority rule.” Supporters praised Brink’s financial acumen, with DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga announcing him as the choice to “restore good governance.”

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