Margaret Arnolds Re-Elected as Joburg Speaker

Margaret Arnolds of the African Independent Congress (AIC) has been re-elected as Speaker of the Johannesburg City Council. Her appointment follows the ousting of ActionSA’s Nobuhle Mthembu through a motion of no confidence last week.

Arnolds, who most recently served as the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance, was officially elected during a special sitting of the council on Thursday. She previously held the Speaker position from November 2023 until August 2024, when she resigned to join the mayoral committee under Executive Mayor Dada Morero.

Mthembu’s removal was orchestrated through a motion tabled by Al Jama-ah, a smaller but increasingly influential party in the council. The move, reportedly backed by the ANC, marked the collapse of the fragile coalition between the ANC and ActionSA, which had brokered her appointment less than a year ago.

With the Speaker’s seat vacant and political alliances shifting rapidly, the ANC-led bloc turned to Arnolds—a familiar figure with institutional knowledge and cross-party rapport.

Her return marks the fourth leadership change in the Speaker’s office in under two years, reflecting the ongoing volatility within Johannesburg’s coalition governance model.

Arnolds’ election was made possible by support from the ANC, Al Jama-ah, and a grouping of smaller parties seeking greater influence in the city’s top leadership roles.