New speaker expected as Johannesburg council ousts ActionSA's Nobuhle Mthembu
Image: Nhlanhla Phillips / Independent Newspapers
The City of Johannesburg council is expected to vote for a new speaker after ActionSA's Nobuhle Mthembu was ousted.
A total of 212 councillors voted against Mthembu, who could only muster 48 votes in her favour.
Mthembu stated that the party is bigger than the individual and that the issue was not solely about her, especially after ActionSA chose to abstain from the motion of no confidence against Mayor Dada Morero.
'We have to show the residents that we are not here for positions only. We are here to serve, and if it means, based on principles, that we lose a position, so be it,' she said.
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ActionSA's Nobuhle Mthembu was axed as the speaker of Johannesburg on Wednesday.
Image: Sipho Jack / Independent Newspapers
Mthembu also accused the DA, which brought the motion against her along with the Al Jama-ah party, of trying to return to power through the back door and not caring for residents.
DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the council approved loans without giving councillors all the necessary information.
She was referring to the R2.5 billion African Development Bank loan approved by the council last week.
According to Kayser-Echeozonjoku, Mthembu called meetings at the last minute, leaving councillors unable to determine how the city's residents would be affected by decisions taken.
She stated that fruitless and wasteful expenditure has ballooned to R23 billion, which was only revealed through a leaked document from a member of the presidential working group prior to the presentation of the Auditor-General SA's report.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku added that Morero bypassed the council and undermined the mandate of councillors.
'We are still waiting for the notice from the acting city manager,' she said when asked about the date for voting for the new speaker.
In terms of the legislation, the municipality has between one and 14 days to hold the elections in council. She said the municipality has totally collapsed under Morero.
After Morero survived the DA's motion of no confidence, his administration said the victory was a clear indication that the majority of parties, as representatives of the residents, were voting for stability, continuity, and service delivery in the city.
'We agree that Johannesburg has serious challenges. However, we are now focused on turning around the situation. We have put in place solutions and interventions that are moving us in the right direction. We are building the Johannesburg we want to see,' he stated.
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Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The case has become a flashpoint between the Labour Party and a coalition of prominent civil society groups aligned with the state. On June 30, the aforementioned foundations were granted leave to intervene, defending the Dialogue. Mathunjwa said: 'These are not bystanders. These are political actors with deep ties to the post-apartheid ruling class. Their role isn't to unite the nation, it's to preserve an elite consensus forged behind closed doors.' He accused the foundations of betraying the legacies of the leaders they represent: 'The same communities (these leaders) stood for are ravaged by gender-based violence, unemployment, and poverty. Now these elites want a 'dialogue' instead of action.' Mathunjwa also criticised the procedural manoeuvring surrounding the case, particularly the fact that the foundations submitted answering affidavits before being granted leave to intervene — a step he described as 'arrogance, plain and simple'. 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In Woode-Smith's view, a real national dialogue would involve voices across the ideological spectrum — including those who strongly oppose the ANC's policies. 'A true national dialogue, with the aim of patching South Africa's rifts and working towards solving our problems needs to include parties from all sides of the spectrum,' he said. 'Most importantly, Ramaphosa's enemies; he should have invited Ernst Roets. He should have invited Kallie Kriel.' Meanwhile, former president Thabo Mbeki in a strongly worded open letter to DA leader John Steenhuisen who threatened to boycott the National Dialogue in retaliation to Whitfield being fired from his position as Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition.
