Former Tshwane Mayor Williams slams DA for 'vilifying black parties'
After resigning as mayor, Williams was relegated to the back benches of the Tshwane council as an ordinary PR Councillor.
Former City of Tshwane Mayor Randall Williams. Picture: Jacques Nelles/Eyewitness News
JOHANNESBURG - Former City of Tshwane Mayor Randall Williams says he no longer has any confidence in the Democratic Alliance (DA) as a leader of society.
The former DA councillor was mayor of the capital city from 2020 to 2023.
He resigned shortly after the release of a damning audit report that found the city’s money and assets could not be accounted for.
After resigning as mayor, Williams was relegated to the back benches of the Tshwane council as an ordinary proportional representational (PR) councillor.
He resigned as councillor in June this year.
READ: 'He is definitely not a messiah' - Randall Williams on Cilliers Brink
Williams said he has not renewed his DA membership, which has expired.
He accused the party of using fear-mongering tactics to garner support.
"This used to be in 1980s where the National Party ran swart gevaar campaigns and vilified black people and that’s what the DA is doing today, they vilify black parties and that is not on," he said.
Williams said he is not a disgruntled former DA member, adding he now works in the private sector with minimal job stress.
WILLIAMS CLAIMS HE WAS PATRONISED
Williams has accused what he calls a faction of a “few white councillors” within the DA, of being responsible for his exit from the metro.
Williams said when he took over the reins, the Tshwane municipality was already in financial trouble.
He said the adverse audit report was a convenient excuse for the DA to remove him and replace him with Cilliers Brink.
He said there was a faction within the DA caucus that bad-mouthed him to the party’s national leadership.
"There was a faction in my caucus consisting of a few white councillors, not the majority, a few. They then would attack me consistently with the support of Solly [Msimanga, DA Gauteng leader] and some of his friends. They would regularly attack me on the caucus WhatsApp groups," Williams said.
The DA in Tshwane said it would not be responding to Williams' comments.