The City of Johannesburg will elect a new council speaker on Thursday, the fifth for the metro since the 2021 local government elections.
The position became vacant last week following the ousting of ActionSA’s Nobuhle Mthembu, who was removed through a motion of no confidence brought by Al Jama-ah and supported by the ANC, DA and EFF.
The motion was adopted with 212 votes in favour and 48 against, highlighting growing rifts within the ANC-led government of local unity (GLU) and its former coalition partner, ActionSA.
On Thursday, councillors from different political parties in the metro are expected to vote for Mthembu’s successor.
Among the frontrunners for the position is Margaret Arnolds, the MMC for Finance, whose name was reported by the Sunday Times as the ANC’s preferred candidate.
Arnolds previously served as speaker before being moved to the finance portfolio when Dada Morero was elected executive mayor.
While the DA is expected to contest the position, it has not publicly confirmed its candidate. ActionSA has withdrawn from the vote, citing betrayal by its coalition partners after Mthembu’s removal.
SowetanLIVE