By Johannah Malogadihlare
ActionSA has said that its caucus leader and councillor Nobuhle Mthembu is the party’s preferred candidate for Speaker of the City of Johannesburg position.
Gauteng Provincial Chairperson and Member of the Provincial Legislature (MPL) Funzi Ngobeni announced Mthembu’s nomination on Tuesday morning and said her experience, dedication, accountability and transparency made her fit for the position.
Ngobeni said that Mthembu has been at the forefront of championing the interests of Johannesburg residents.
“From exposing the administrative inefficiencies that led to the tragic Usindiso fire, to addressing the mismanagement of the Bree explosion, tackling the water crisis, poor service delivery, and the lack of political will in addressing decline of the Inner City; Mthembu’s commitment and track-record in protecting the best interests of Johannesburg residents is not to be doubted,” he said.
Mthembu holds a BCom degree in Taxation and has been a member of the council’s section 79 Committee on Human Settlements.
He said despite Mthembu’s previous efforts, several issues affecting the city remained concerning and called for more efforts to propose necessary solutions to rebuild Johannesburg.
Ngobeni said ActionSA intends to be the voice on behalf of the resident’s interest; and said should the Government of Local Unity (GLU) not support her nomination, the party will continue its work of being a watchdog over the administration of service delivery.
“ActionSA is not concerned with lofty positions but rather how this strategic office can be leveraged to put the city back on track,” said Ngobeni.
However, as part of the recently-formed coalition between ActionSA and the ANC, the party has been awarded 5 committee chairperson positions as well as the Speaker.
Ngobeni said his party believes that Mthembu’s leadership skills have proven many times that her only interest is to improve the state of the governance and service in the metro.
The Speaker position is a crucial one as it remains instrumental in holding the executive accountable through various means, such as investigations and the tabling of reports to the council, he said.
Mthembu is expected to continue a number of crucial investigations that have not been concluded by the speaker’s office.
The Joburg caucus leader’s nomination follows former Speaker and African Independent Congress (AIC) member Margaret Arnolds’ resignation on Saturday, with the election set to take place on Wednesday during a special council meeting.
After her resignation, Arnolds was appointed to the position of Member of Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance under the newly elected ANC Mayor, Dada Morero.
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