Cilliers Brink, the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane. (Photo: Tania Heyns/Maroela Media)
Cilliers Brink is no stranger to local government matters.
He was already mayor of Tshwane. Brink has (before now) never been a mayoral candidate, which means that he has never run an election campaign for it before.
You wouldn’t think so though.
Maroela Media recently accompanied Brink on his election campaign and was pleasantly surprised by how naturally canvassing comes to the relatively young yet serious politician.
“I took on someone else’s term when I initially became mayor. So, this is the first time I am a candidate,” says Brink on his way to the first stop of the day – a water leak in Pretoria Road in Silverton.
These days, Brink devotes six, sometimes even seven, days a week to his election campaign in the hope of being elected mayor of Tshwane again and getting the capital back on its feet.
A month ago, he and his election team used Brink’s family-friendly Toyota Corolla Cross to drive around Pretoria after potholes, water leaks and power outages.
The Brink-for-mayor team these days uses a more luxurious Cherry loaner car.
Cilliers Brink, the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane. (Photo: Tania Heyns/Maroela Media)
DA ward councilor candidate Samantha de la Rey is behind the wheel of the sport utility vehicle for the first time; multimedia specialist Rorisang Kekana sits in the front left and Brink in the back left when he explains on the way to Silverton that an election campaign ultimately depends on the candidate’s personality.
“Everyone now compares themselves to Helen (Zille’s election campaign),” he confesses.
“Helen, because she has such a strong profile, can get away with certain things that would make me or Retief Odendaal or even Geordin Hill-Lewis look a bit silly.
“If she does it, people will laugh. If I do it, people will ask: What’s wrong with this guy?”
He laughs. He laughs easily – also at himself. Still, he will describe himself as a “fairly serious person”.
“I’m a people person to some extent. But I’m not going to pretend that I’m always 100% sparkling. My team has to tell me many times: It’s time to smile a little,” he admits to Maroela Media with a laugh.
“I’m just a serious person. I’m used to a professional schedule because we have to get things done.”
Cilliers Brink, the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane. (Photo: Tania Heyns/Maroela Media)
Kekana, who is now working with Brink on the election campaign, can testify to that. “Cilliers is more on the stricter side,” he says diplomatically.
“But I think in politics it is necessary. Cilliers is the type of guy you can joke with, but the work still needs to be done.”
Kekana says that sometimes Brink can also become quiet. “I think he sometimes has a lot to do.”
By this time, Kekana had already learned when Brink started to get quiet so he could think about something. “I wouldn’t say he’s an introvert. He can be an extrovert. It just depends on the situation.”
Brink explains that one specific thought comes to mind during the election campaign.
“I keep this thing in the back of my mind: How are we going to solve this problem when we’re in government? Can we solve it? Should I tell this aunt that we’re going to help her or should I say we’ll get back to her?”
“Because I know, I see the opinion polls, an election campaign is probably going to go into government.”
From early morning till late
How does his day usually go, Maroela wants to know on the way to the next stop: Vergelegenweg in Equestria where the local community upliftment organization “Equestria JEA” works to maintain the neighborhood itself.
Brink and his team usually start early in the morning, because he prefers to be home again in the early evening.
“I’m a morning person.”
However, he first drops off his two young children at their respective schools every morning. “It helps my wife because my wife is also a professional and that’s me deal with her.”
And he sticks to that deal despite his grueling schedule. Because, says Brink: “It’s only fair.”
The past week has been particularly tough. “I can’t even remember how the week started. I can only remember I was at Nampo…”
Cilliers Brink, the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane. (Photo: Tania Heyns/Maroela Media)
He tries to spend Sundays at home with his family. This is not always possible as he tries to attend a service every second Sunday at a church in a traditionally black residential area that likes to give politicians a chance to speak.
“The type of voter who goes to church is probably the type of voter who will consider voting for us in the township areas,” explains Brink.
Some of the services can last from two to three hours and Brink believes in staying for the duration of the service, “unlike some ANC politicians” who disappear after their turn to speak.
Do your children know who you are, Maroela Media wants to know at some point.
He laughs. “My little boy tells me a lot: There is one of you fans.”
A group of those fans beckons him closer not long after precisely when the team walks into Hennies at Linton’s Corner in Equestria for a quick cold drink.
“The power is out. When is it coming on?” someone shouts when Brink walks in.
Cilliers Brink, the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane. (Photo: Tania Heyns/Maroela Media)
He greets. Start a chat. “A big part of the election campaign is just interacting with people. People just have to see you,” he believes.
“But there is an art and a science to election campaigns. You have to get residents to register to vote and then finally show up on election day to vote.”
He explains that there are two streams to his election campaign. “One is to meet as many people individually as possible. But there are so many people living in complexes these days. You can’t just walk in, knock-knock, and ask if the aunt is home.”
In the run-up to this year’s municipal election, candidates are therefore largely dependent on social media – the second stream of Brink’s election campaign.
“This is the first election campaign where social media will play a decisive role,” believes Brink.
“If you want to talk to residents, you have to use the means they use. You have to be where they are.”
He believes WhatsApp is by far the most important social media platform right now. “Just about everyone is on WhatsApp groups.”
Rorisang Kekana, multimedia specialist. (Photo: Tania Heyns/Maroela Media)
Videos are also very important for his election campaign. “So we try to capture a lot of what we do day to day on video so that we can share it on social media.”
Brink’s team also likes to use those videos to put pressure on dr. Nasiphi Moya, currently mayor of Tshwane, to place his administration.
“If DA councilors don’t get answers, then I jump in, make a video and in two cases the city jumped in and fixed it. So we use the election campaign to apply a bit of pressure. I can’t be ward councilor for the whole city, but I can help my colleagues in the cases where they are struggling.”
Do other political parties watch his videos? Brink laughs. “Yes, definitely. But that is only largely what an effective opposition is.”
Arriving in Olympus, Brink simply jumps in himself, fixes a pothole and then tries not to laugh when Maroela’s reporter tries to test the compactor himself. It’s not as easy as it seems.
Cilliers Brink, the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane. (Photo: Tania Heyns/Maroela Media)
“Come along,” invites Brink before he jumps into a Hilux pickup truck and drives over a bunch of potholes in Olympus to highlight the condition of the neighborhood’s roads.
“Pretoria is Hilux world, but you shouldn’t have to own a Hilux to drive these roads,” says Brink into the camera as Kekana jogs alongside the Hilux to capture this well-planned statement on video.
In the afternoon, the old custom is concluded as Pretorianians like to do – with a braai (together with Brink).
Take a look here at some of the highlights from Maroela Media’s afternoon with Cilliers Brink, the DA’s mayoral candidate in Tshwane.
