Chair of the minority parties Margaret Arnolds says she has a good relationsip with all the parties. Picture: Nigel Sibanda
Joburg council speaker nominee Margaret Arnolds of the African Independent Congress vows to be a speaker for the city instead of just for her coalition.
Yesterday, the coalition government of Joburg put forward Arnolds as its candidate for the next council speaker after the Congress of the People expelled former speaker Colleen Makhubele from the party.
It is understood that former mayor Thapelo Amad from Al Jama-ah and Lloyd Phillips from the Good Party were among the other names put forward for the position.
It was still unclear if the Democratic Alliance (DA)-ActionSA-led coalition would field a candidate to oppose the election of Arnolds as the coalition government has the numbers to ensure their candidate is elected.
During the negotiations of the ANC and the Economic Freedom Fighters, it was agreed that the mayor and speaker positions would be given to minority parties and they should decide among themselves who would fill the two positions.
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In principle, this means that the ANC, EFF and Patriotic Alliance will support Arnolds.
The city manager is likely to call a special council sitting next week to elect a new speaker.
Arnolds is known in the council for being a feisty no-nonsense talker and questions have been raised about how she would contain herself as the speaker when tension rises.
She said she would not be the speaker of her coalition, but the speaker for the City of Joburg.
“I have dealt with very difficult people in community development, in my committee.
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“What you see as Margaret the activist and Margaret who made the noise in council is a totally different person in the boardroom, when she chairs a meeting and when she deals with emotion,” she said.
“I am not going to say because you are in the coalition government I will treat you with kid gloves and deal with the DA in a different manner. In my committee. that is not happening.
“If the DA is right then the DA is right. If the ANC is right then the ANC is right.
“There is no Animal Farm within the city of Joburg.”
Arnolds said she had a good relationship with every political party.
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“I have never chosen a side. The people in the committees I am serving in will tell you that I serve all of them,” Arnolds said.
There have also been questions about whether she had the credentials to lead the executive of the city.
She said her track record spoke for itself.
“I have been a MMC for community development and I steered the ship there very well.
“I was chair of environment infrastructure and service delivery in the time of Herman Mashaba and I did very well in that portfolio as well.
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“I am currently the chair of community development and I have managed to bring the entire committee together,” she said.
“I know what is happening on the ground. I know exactly what I can produce and how I can produce it.
“To have oversight over the executive will be easy because I have been in that MMC position and I know what to look for.
“I aim to have a stable City of Joburg.
“I need to bring stability and accountability.”
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