Pretoria - Newly-elected mayor of Tshwane Stevens Mokgalapa received a baptism of fire from both the ANC and EFF, warning his administration about the bumpy road ahead.
Regional party chairperson Kgosi Maepa warned him to brace himself for a rough ride because the party will always keep his work in check.
On the other hand, the EFF regional leader Moaferika Mabogwana remarked that Mokgalapa's occupation of the mayoral position might be short-lived.
"You are actually warming that seat for the EFF. You will only lead us until June," he said.
Maepa further took a potshot at the DA for continuing to lower its standard in terms of appointing poor leaders.
He said the DA had gone "from bad to worse, from Solly Msimanga to Mokgalapa".
Maepa challenged Mokgalapa's statement that the DA inherited a R2 billion deficit when it took over the office after the 2016 municipal polls.
Earlier on in his acceptance speech, Mokgalapa said: "I am proud to inherit this legacy. More specifically the DA-led administration over the last two and a half years has corrected an inherited R2 billion deficit to show a surplus at the end of the first financial year in office in 2017."
Maepa said the truth was that the former ANC municipality left at least R736 million as surplus in city coffers.
"Solly Msimanga didn't resign but he was pushed," he remarked.
Mabogwana, on behalf of the EFF, congratulated Mokgalapa but reminded him that he didn't receive the support of his party to ascend to the mayoral position.
"We didn't vote for the mayor because there is little known about him. We don't want to risk the similar mistake we made with Solly Msimanga," he said.
He said the EFF will, however, accord him the same respect befitting an elected executive mayor.
"You must not use your position to terrorise officials who differ with you," he said.
He said the EFF previously asked the former mayor Msimanga to insource maintenance workers - but the request was never attended to.
"If you fail within three months - you will also run away like Solly Msimanga did," Mabogwana said.