Brink’s Sudden Conversion to Immigration Raids a Sign of His Desperation

Cilliers Brink’s sudden conversion to highly publicised raids against illegal immigration, just 30 days before an election in which he is campaigning to return as Mayor of Tshwane, raises obvious questions concerning his absence from similar raids when he was actually Mayor of Tshwane.

Brink served as Executive Mayor of Tshwane from March 2023 to September 2024, but limited airtime was spent on highlighting the impact of operations against illegal immigration then.

Now, weeks before an election, residents are suddenly being presented with a very different Cilliers Brink. Dressed in a bulletproof vest and accompanied by private security, Brink is seen participating in raids, filming the encounters and publishing the footage as DA campaign material with ending note “Vote DA”.

The timing is highly suggestive.

For nearly two years, ActionSA Mayor Dr Nasiphi Moya and the ActionSA-led Community Safety portfolio have laid the foundation for a tougher approach to lawlessness, hijacked properties and illegal immigration in Tshwane.

Under Mayor Moya, the City launched Reclaim Our City operations bringing together TMPD and relevant municipal departments to tackle hijacked properties, illegal businesses, by-law violations and illegal immigration through coordinated enforcement operations.

Under ActionSA MMC for Community Safety Hannes Coetzee, TMPD has intensified targeted operations against undocumented immigration, signing an IGR agreement with the Department of Home Affairs and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that those arrested are dealt with through the appropriate legal processes.

ActionSA welcomes the fact that other political parties are finally recognising the seriousness of illegal immigration and the need for decisive enforcement. What is less convincing is the timing of this new-found conviction on the eve of an election and then turning raids into political point scoring.

Brink had his opportunity to govern Tshwane. If this issue matters sufficiently for him to put on a bulletproof vest and personally participate in raids today, he should explain why this same urgency was not nearly as visible when he actually had the powers and responsibilities as Executive Mayor.

Tshwane does not need politicians discovering law enforcement 30 days before an election. It needs the sustained work of restoring law and order that Mayor Moya and the ActionSA-led administration have already begun.

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