Coalition rejects Makhubele’s claim as acting speaker

5 September 2022 

The governing multi-party coalition in the Gauteng metros notes with concern the repeated claims by Chair of Chairs, Councillor Colleen Makhubele, that she is the Acting Speaker of the City of Johannesburg.

It must be noted that Makhubele is one of the coalition councillors who voted for the motion of no confidence despite committing, on numerous occasions, to support the coalition in defeating the motion. She serves as the Chair of Chairs, a position entrusted to her by the coalition, but appears to see no ethical issue with using the position to betray the will of the residents of Johannesburg.

This claim is made by Makhubele without any legal foundation and is designed to assume powers she does not hold in order to continue prosecuting the ANC’s agenda while serving within the multi-party coalition.

The Standing Rules and Orders of Council are very clear that an Acting Speaker must have been elected to that role by the council. This never took place. Rather Makhubele is relying upon the notion that her chairing of the last meeting after the motion succeeded to remove the Speaker, entitles her to continue Acting in the role beyond that meeting.

The multi-party coalition will observe the conduct of Makhubele very closely in the coming days and, should she attempt to call a special council meeting on behalf of the ANC at whose behest she now appears to serve, we will not hesitate to take the matter to court. 

Issued by Corne Mulder on behalf of Multi-party Coalition, 5 September 2022