Msimanga announced in January 2019 that he would resign as mayor, therefore creating a vacancy in the position.

The Economic Freedom Fighters and opposition African National Congress abstained from the vote, therefore allowing Mokgalapa to be elected as mayor unopposed on 12 February 2019.

On 18 January 2019, incumbent Mayor of Tshwane and Democratic Alliance Gauteng Premier candidate, Solly Msimanga, announced that he would resign as mayor in February 2019 in order to focus on his premiership campaign to unseat incumbent Premier of Gauteng, David Makhura.

He became the first mayor from the Democratic Alliance, ending the many years of African National Congress rule in the municipality.

[8] As the Economic Freedom Fighters and opposition African National Congress did not field any candidates of their own and chose to abstain from the mayoral vote.