Newly elected Speaker of the City of Johannesburg wants mayor out
Cope's Colleen Makhubele has been elected as the new Speaker of the City of Johannesburg Council.
Speaker Colleen Makhubele has a mammoth task ahead of her, as the Speaker must ensure that the residents have confidence in the work of the Council.
This includes deepening democracy, boosting citizen empowerment and stakeholder participation and involvement, improving governance, socio-economic development, and service delivery, strengthening decision-making powers and accountability and ensuring expeditious and efficient decision-making.
In that seat, the Speaker needs to be above political machinations and advance the interests of residents and ensure that all councillors, regardless of party affiliation, are treated fairly and equally.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank councillor Vasco Da Gama once again for his service as Speaker of Council and I look forward to working with him from the benches of the house and across the city’s communities, which he is always ready and willing to serve, regardless of rank or status,” said Makhubele.
“Our focus is not politics. Our focus is on the people of Joburg and the delivery of services through our repair and rebuild programme.
“We intend on completing this electoral term in office so that we can show the city and the country that the coalition governance model that is becoming commonplace across the country, yields positive returns,” said mayoral communication spokesperson, Mabine Seabe.
Makhubele beat out the DA’s Alex Christians by 141 to 129 votes.
Her election comes with a request for a motion of no confidence debate against Mayor Mpho Phalatse already on the table.
Makhubele has to decide when to hold an extraordinary sitting and convene a meeting with the programming committee to place the matter on the agenda.
Several parties, including the ANC and Al Jama-ah a South African political party, said Phalatse is not fit to govern South Africa’s economic hub.
The Johannesburg High Court ruled in favour of the DA, that Makhubele was not elected as council speaker at the time and didn’t have the powers to call for a council sitting.
But her appointment sends a signal to the DA that Phalatse’s future as mayor is not safe, as the coalition that removed Da Gama is expected to now target Phalatse.
Makhubele herself has on several occasions voiced her own opinions on Phalatse, saying that she failed to deliver basic services to residents but will have to handle the request for her removal impartially as set out by the Municipal Structures Act.
