The SA Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu), the country's largest local government trade union, welcomed DA councillor Randall Williams resigning as Tshwane’s executive mayor, saying he presided over the collapse of the metro’s finances.
“In his resignation letter, Williams attempts to paint a rosy picture of his tenure. He, however, neglects to mention the fact that under his watch, the city’s finances deteriorated to a state that has never been seen before,” said Samwu Tshwane regional chair Nkhetheni Muthavhi.
Samwu represents more than 260,000 municipal workers and is an affiliate of ANC ally Cosatu.
“It was under his watch that for the first time in history, the city received an adverse audit finding. This is the same man who was protected by the coalition government when there was clear evidence that he tried to manipulate the city’s supply chain process by attempting to sneak through the backdoor and give his preferred company a tender worth R26bn.”
Williams’s resignation comes months after the DA-led multiparty coalition — consisting of ActionSA, ACDP, IFP, COPE and Freedom Front Plus — issued a joint statement in August 2022, saying they agreed to an independent investigation after allegations surfaced that Williams interfered in a R26bn energy investment proposal for the metro. The unsolicited bid was for refurbishing the city-owned Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations.
The ANC and other smaller parties in council criticised Randall after auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke’s report on the 2021/2022 financial year said that Tshwane did not have adequate systems for identifying and disclosing all irregular expenditure, which the metro put at more than R10.4bn.
In a statement on Monday, Williams said he was resigning with immediate effect as executive mayor, stressing that his untimely exit was in the best interests of the multiparty coalition.
However, just hours later in another statement, Williams said that after consultation with various political parties and to ensure the continuity of the council’s work, “I have subsequently written to the speaker and chief whip and amended my resignation to take effect from midnight on February 28.”
“This will ensure that the core work of the city is not interrupted and that the mayoral committee remains in place,” Williams said. “During this period I have requested that member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for finance and leader of executive business alderman Peter Sutton take on the role of acting executive mayor.”
Political ructions in Joburg led to DA councillor Mpho Phalatse being removed as mayor in January and replaced by Al Jama-ah councillor Thapelo Amad, who runs a multiparty coalition including the ANC and other smaller political parties. In Ekurhuleni, council speaker Raymond Dhlamini obtained a court interdict against meeting meant to discuss a motion of no confidence against him in January.
Williams said: “To keep the multiparty coalition together required continuous communication and engagement to ensure unity in our city to achieve our goals. I resign today because I believe it is in the best interest for continued stability of the coalition in the city. Being executive mayor of the capital city has not been without its difficulties, but I have embraced every challenge that has come my way in the execution of my duties, all of which have allowed my own personal development.”
He said he was not resigning in frustration, resentment or anger but “in peace knowing that I have been given an incredible opportunity and I have fulfilled my duties to the best of my abilities”.
“When I was first elected executive mayor of Tshwane at the end of October 2020 the city was in an incredibly challenging position. We had just removed the ANC administrators who had mismanaged the city, and our country was still in a state of Covid-19 lockdown,” said Williams.
“Having inherited a R4bn deficit at the time, my immediate goal was to stabilise the city’s finances. At that point I was leading a DA minority government and within a year we would have the local government elections. Thus there was immense pressure to guide the city to those elections and ensure stability in the government, which was incredibly difficult.”
But Muthavhi said Williams will be remembered for being responsible “for the city’s R10bn irregular expenditure and R1bn fruitless and wasteful expenditure as reported by the auditor-general”. The Cosatu affiliate was not happy that the mayor “denied municipal workers their 3.5% salary increase in 2021 as agreed by parties in the SA Local Government Bargaining Council”.
Samwu called on all political parties represented in the council to put aside their political differences and elect a mayor “who cares for service delivery and workers alike”.
“The city has been through rough times since 2020. Political parties need to focus their energies on revitalising the city to its former glory. Workers and residents of the city are tired of politicking. They need a government that will work for them, a government that is people-centred,” Muthavhi said.
Williams was elected mayor in October 2020 after Stevens Mokgalapa resigned from the post in the wake of a sex scandal. Williams was re-elected as the metro’s first citizen after the municipal elections in November 2021.
ActionSA national chair Michael Beaumont said the party noted Williams’s resignation. “This news took us by surprise,” he said. “There is a meeting of the multiparty coalition scheduled for 8pm this [Monday] evening, during which ActionSA will seek answers in this regard.”
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the party looked forward to welcoming Williams “into whatever role awaits him within the DA, where his experience and skill set will be a great asset”.
Update: February 13 2023
This article has been updated with new information throughout.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.