Community activist, Dr Brandon Pillay, earned a Doctor of Administration after overcoming the tragic loss of his two brothers during his studies.
“In October 2022 my older brother, Seelan – a dedicated family man and ex-policeman was shot and killed in cold blood. His death was tragic and left our entire family traumatised. I struggled to get past his death; I was not even able to focus on my studies and had to write to my supervisor and the College of Law and Management Studies to request some time off to deal with the trauma,” said Pillay.
While trying to come to terms with his brother’s death and find the will to continue his studies, Pillay faced another tragedy when his second brother was also killed 13 months later.
“In December 2023, my other brother, Terrance, was also shot and killed execution -style. I reached a stage where I wanted to deregister and thought I would not be able to complete my doctoral studies. Then I started to pick up the pieces and decided I needed to do this in honour of my late parents and late brothers. I needed to do this because that’s what they would have wanted me to do,” added Pillay.
Through his research titled: ‘The Formation and Functioning of Coalition Governments: An Analysis of a Hung Municipality in South Africa’, Pillay is contributing to the field of Public Administration by highlighting the theoretical barriers that affect coalition governance.
“My study focused on the hung municipality of eThekwini which is a very current topic as coalitions have become the future of our country, as we have seen with the recent general elections and the GNU (Governments of National Unity),” said Pillay.
Supervised by Dr Syanda Mthuli, the study revealed political mistrust, instability, and power imbalances with severe effects. It offers insights for municipalities, political parties, and national policymakers seeking to improve coalition functionality and service delivery in South Africa’s evolving democratic landscape.
“The findings reflected that political parties did not waste time talking about a coalition as they all agreed this was a way forward for a functioning government to be formed, although mistrust and difficulties in selecting the governing partners became a challenge for the former ruling ANC party,” said Pillay.
He added that the study, which he conducted as a full-time member of parliament in the National Assembly concluded that the formation of a coalition government in eThekwini Municipality was welcomed.
“The process, however, was inevitably associated with disputes, as evidenced by some of the partners within the coalition withdrawing during the coalition period, thereby triggering further instability in the functioning of the coalition. Therefore, this study contributes to new knowledge by providing empirical insights into the operational realities of a coalition government in a South African municipality.”
After retiring from politics in 2024, the Chatsworth native has been servicing his community through being involved in the Bayview Ubuntu Community Centre – a non-profit organisation, multi-service community development agency.
“I am proud of my achievements, awards, and the positive impact I have made on the lives of the people I serve. I’m most fulfilled when I am able to bring about positive change in the neglected community of Bayview. My greatest accomplishment has been my relentless dedication to solving social issues and promoting human rights.”
Words: Thandiwe Jumo
Photograph: Sethu Dlamini
