Johannesburg Finance MMC Margaret Arnolds is set to make a comeback as a speaker, following her endorsement by the ANC regional task team (RTT).
Sunday World understands that RTT officials held a meeting on Saturday and resolved that Arnolds be reinstated to the position after the removal of ActionSA speaker Nobuhle Mthembu.
Acting city manager Tshepo Makola has convened an extraordinary council seating on Thursday to elect a speaker. DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku told Sunday World that the party would be fielding their own candidate.. However, she could not give the name of their candidate.
DA mum on own candidate
“We will nominate in council as per procedure when nomination forms are made available,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku said.
An RTT source told Sunday World that Arnolds’ return is the ANC’s decision, although they are still in discussions with other parties about the matter.
Arnolds was appointed in November 2023 and later removed in August last year to accommodate Mthembu. This followed an agreement between the ANC and ActionSA to collaborate provincially to take control of hung municipalities in the province, resulting in them taking over the City of Tshwane.
ActionSA, however, has repeatedly stated it is not in a coalition with the ANC in Johannesburg. It said it would only vote on issues on a case-by-case basis. This infuriated minority parties, who demanded Mthembu’s removal after she voted against the budget supported by the ANC-led coalition on three occasions.
Arnolds confirmed
The current ruling coalition — called the government of local unity (GLU) — is led by the ANC and EFF and supported by minority parties including Arnolds’s African Independent Congress and Al Jama-ah.
“Arnolds is going to be the speaker, and we will make sure,” the source said.
Last week, Mayor Dada Morero survived a motion of no confidence brought forward by the DA. This while Mthembu was removed by a motion sponsored by Al Jama-ah. Mthembu was voted out by 212 councillors; 48 voted against her removal. For the first time, the ANC and DA voted for the same motion.
A source said the ANC will demand that the position of Finance MMC be returned to them after allowing minority parties to take back the Speaker position by reinstating Arnolds. MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services and Deputy Regional Secretary Loyiso Masuku has been one of the names discussed as a possible replacement for Arnolds.
Loyiso Masuku
The source said Masuku’s name had been mentioned. But the party had not yet finalised a replacement. And the source added that Masuku’s name had not been formally submitted.
“The only thing we have discussed is that the speaker be returned to the minority parties because we have Margaret — and then take back finance.”
Arnolds said she was due to meet with her national executive committee on Wednesday night to discuss the issue.
“Remember I’m not an independent, I’m deployed by a party called the AIC,” she said.
ANC RTT coordinator Sasabona Manganyi told Sunday World that the party was still consulting with various parties regarding the name of the person the ANC would support as Speaker. Manganyi said that once those engagements were finalised, the party would make a public announcement.
Another RTT source said: “Margaret is the only name that makes sense because she is an experienced speaker. The only engagement we had was to say, ‘let’s return the Speaker to the minorities. Because we have Margaret, who is already an experienced speaker’.
“It won’t make sense to appoint a new person who is still learning. We’d rather appoint someone who was there and doing well. We’re about a year and a few months from the end of the current term. So you don’t want to bring in someone new to learn — you want someone you know was doing very well.”
Al Jama-ah
With Al Jama-ah having sponsored the motion against Mthembu, there were expectations that one of their councillors would take over the position. Previously, the GLU had given two Al Jama-ah councillors — Kabelo Gwamanda and Thapelo — the opportunity to serve as mayor. But both tenures ended disastrously.
The source said the motion against Mthembu had nothing to do with Al Jama-ah alone. They only have three councillors and not enough numbers to remove the Speaker on their own, added the source.
“The motion was raised by them but supported collectively. Al Jama-ah is with us as part of the minority parties in the city. Putting Margaret in is the same as including Al Jama-ah and all other parties. Because they are a united group — they don’t negotiate individually.”
When asked whether the ANC and ActionSA relationship had completely ended, the source said that decision rested with the provincial task team, which is handling those discussions.
“There was an agreement to hold a follow-up meeting beyond the issue of the motion. But those meetings are arranged and facilitated by our province. We do not need ActionSA’s numbers — our coalition can survive motions as it stands.”
