ANC helps ActionSA get Mthembu elected as Joburg speaker

ActionSA’s Nobuhle Mthembu has been elected as the new speaker of the Johannesburg council.

Mthembu received a majority of votes in council on Wednesday. She had been challenged by the DA’s Nonhlanhla Sifumba.

Mthembu’s rise to power was aided by the ANC, which nominated her for the position.

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Mthembu’s background

Mthembu is from Soweto and has been an ActionSA activist for several years.

Her election is comes after a gentleman’s agreement between ActionSA and the ANC and its partners.

ActionSA had helped the ANC to have a mayor in the City of Johannesburg and now the party had also voted in favour of an ActionSA speaker.

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DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the party had fielded a candidate because the position of speaker was critical and should be occupied by a competent individual.

ActionSA president Herman Mashaba previously told The Citizen that the party would use its position in the speaker’s office to hold the executive to account.

The individual in the speaker’s position is responsible for holding the mayor and his committee accountable for service delivery and other related issues, as well as issues such as discipline. It’s one of the most powerful positions in council.