By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
New City of Joburg Speaker, Colleen Makhubele during a council meeting on 28 September 2022. Photo Credit: Neil McCartney.
The City of Johannesburg, chair of chairs, Colleen Makhubele has officially been elected as the new Council Speaker
Makhubele from COPE beat Democratic Alliance (DA) councillor Alex Christians by 141 to 129 votes during the city’s council meeting on Wednesday.
She replaces Vasco da Gama who was ousted speaker in a motion of no confidence at the beginning of the month.
The ANC and other political parties were not part of the coalition that backed Makhubele for the position.
Cope’s interim provincial committee in Gauteng had suspended Makhubele with immediate effect earlier this month, pending the outcome of a disciplinary hearing.
But Makhubele, who was suspended from all council duties and activities, insisted that she was not going anywhere because she had the support of Cope’s national leadership.
The suspension came after Makhubele attempted to convene a special council meeting to elect a new council Speaker.
The meeting, however, was interdicted after the City filed an urgent court application to stop the council from happening.
The Johannesburg High Court had ruled that Makhubele had no authority to convene a council meeting as she was not elected as acting Speaker.
A coalition that includes the ANC and EFF is on a mission to take over the metropolitan municipality. The coalition includes minority parties such as Cope, UDM, AIC and the PA.
We understand their next move is to remove mayor Mpho Phalatse and install the ANC’s Dada Morero in her place.