DA to reveal Stevens Mokgalapa as new Tshwane mayor

DA MP Stevens Mokgalapa will be announced as the party's new mayor for the City of Tshwane on Sunday.

Mokgalapa, who is currently the party's spokesperson for international relations, was appointed at this weekend's FedEx meeting in Johannesburg.

He will take over from Solly Msimanga who has quit his post to focus on his campaign as DA premier candidate for Gauteng.

Mokgalapa, who is also a former City of Tshwane councillor, confirmed his appointment to TimesLIVE on Saturday evening, but declined to comment further.

"[The party will hold] a formal briefing tomorrow where ...the party will be introducing me. I will [also] be outlining my plan [for Tshwane] as well," said Mokgalapa.

Msimanga was reportedly made to resign last week by the party's FedEx after he was told to choose between being a mayor or the party's premier candidate.

Party insiders last week told the Sunday Times that Msimanga had become a liability in the campaign to take over Gauteng because he was struggling to focus as he has been dealing with crisis after crisis in Tshwane.

Msimanga's mayorship has been rocked by a number of scandals, including revelations that his chief of staff lied about his qualifications.

Msimanga, who officially leaves his position on February 11, is currently at loggerheads with his municipal manager, Moeketsi Mosola over the awarding of a R12bn contract to engineering consultants GladAfrica.