Brink’s days as Tshwane mayor numbered, warns Cosatu

This as the country prepares to head to the polls in 2024.

Losi made the remarks after Brink failed to receive a memorandum of demands from Cosatu members who marched to Tshwane House on Friday.

Cosatu affiliate, the South African Municipal Workers Union, downed tools in July in what the city labelled as an illegal strike.

Municipal workers are unhappy over various issues, including the non-payment of salary increases.

Workers are demanding 3.5% and 5.4% salary increases, an amount that Brink said the city cannot afford.

“The DA has no respect for workers. Workers are voters and when I say his days are numbered, I mean exactly that. We are going to elections in 2024, and a decision must be made,” Losi told the crowd.

“That’s why I said to workers here: when you are angry with the ANC, the option is not to stay at home and not vote because by not voting, you are voting for a coalition government that is going to sit and collude against your demands.

“We are saying to the workers that they must go and vote for the ANC.”

Brink, who was meant to collect the memorandum, was a no-show after the marchers only reached Tshwane House two hours after they were supposed to arrive.

He was subsequently sent Municipal Manager Johann Mettler in his stead.

But Mettler, who was transported in an armoured vehicle to the protest, quickly made a U-turn due to safety fears.

Mettler’s about-turn resulted in tension between marchers and police, with the crowd demanding to see Brink.