Margaret Arnolds poised to take over Joburg Council Speaker hot seat

Margaret Arnolds has been tipped to take over as the Speaker for the Joburg Council.

If elected, Arnolds’ appointment is expected to trigger a broader reshuffle within the Mayoral Committee, as smaller parties continue to press for increased representation in senior leadership roles.

This comes following her resignation as City of Joburg Speaker less than one year ago. 

Former speaker, ActionSA's Nobuhle Mthembu, was shown the door following a motion of no confidence tabled by Al Jama-ah.

Mthembu’s removal has effectively ended the coalition between ActionSA and the African National Congress (ANC) in Johannesburg.

However, both parties have indicated they will continue to cooperate in other municipalities across the country.

Arnolds is a councillor with the African Independent Congress (AIC) and serves as the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance.

Their push comes amid growing concerns over the ANC’s dominance in top council positions, including the mayor and council whip portfolios.

ActionSA has been sidelined from the current Speaker selection process after the party declined to support ANC Mayor Dada Morero in last week’s confidence vote.

Johannesburg’s council has been marked by instability over the past three years, having cycled through four speakers—each from a different political party.

The new appointment, expected on Thursday, will be the city’s fifth speaker during this turbulent period.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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