The City of Tshwane has a new mayor.

The Democratic Alliance's (DA's) Stevens Mokgalapa was elected at a special council meeting on Tuesday. He was the only nomination from the floor.

The meeting was a scheduled after Solly Msimanga officially resigned as executive mayor.

In his resignation letter to speaker of council Katleho Mathebe, which News24 has seen, Msimanga explained he was stepping down in order to pursue higher office.

"It has become clear to me and the DA that unless we govern the Gauteng province with an outright majority, the fate of the people of Tshwane will soon be the fate of the people of Gauteng across the board," wrote Msimanga in his resignation letter.

The letter stated that February 11 would be his last day.

African National Congress Gauteng provincial secretary Jacob Khawe said the DA was attempting to save itself with the move.

Msimanga has been embroiled in a number of scandals including the multibillion-rand GladAfrica saga, the hiring of unqualified staffers in his office and claims that he had lost favour with his caucus.

"That GladAfrica scandal is too big, worse now the AG (Auditor General) report is out... procurement procedures are flawed, nobody following the law, so they were saving themselves," claimed Khawe.