Thabiso Goba3 July 2025 | 13:55

AIC councillor Margaret Arnolds elected as new Joburg Council Speaker

Arnolds was up against the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Alex Christians and United Democratic Movement's (UDM) Yongama Zigebe.

AIC councillor Margaret Arnolds elected as new Joburg Council Speaker

African Independent Congress (AIC) councillor Margaret Arnolds was elected and sworn in as the new Joburg Council Speaker on 3 July 2025. Picture: @CityofJoburgZA/X

JOHANNESBURG - African Independent Congress (AIC) councillor, Margaret Arnolds, has been elected as the new Joburg Council Speaker.

Arnolds was up against the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Alex Christians and United Democratic Movement's (UDM) Yongama Zigebe.

Arnolds, who is backed by the African National Congress-led multiparty coalition, becomes Joburg’s fifth Speaker since the 2021 local government elections.

She is expected to step down from her position as Finance MMC and take up the Speaker’s gavel.

Acting city manager, Kiba Kekana, announced the results.

"We have got a candidate which received the majority of the votes, so this in itself empowers the presiding officer to declare Margaret Sharon Arnold as the Speaker of the Council of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality."