City of Ekurhuleni council has elected the African National Congress (ANC) Cllr Dora Mlambo as the new Speaker of Council on Monday, 26 January 2026.
In a shocking turn of events Mlambo defeated the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) Cllr Nkululeko Dunga and the Democratic Alliance (DA) Cllr Lucky Dinake with 91 votes. Dinake received 69 votes, while Dunga has 31 votes.
Her election follows the resignation of former Speaker Nthabiseng Tshivhenga. The EFF councillor Tshivhenga resigned in December last year and was redeployed to the Gauteng Provincial Legislature.
Mlambo is a veteran in the municipality, having previously served as the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Services and Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has since vowed to hold her accountable in her role as a “bulwark against executive overreach”.
The DA Ekurhuleni Caucus Leader, Cllr Brandon Pretorius said the election of Mlambo, following the resignation of Tshivenga, highlights the ructions taking place in the current ANC-EFF coalition.
Pretorius indicated that despite their defeat the party will continue to their numbers to hold the ANC administration to account.
“Despite our unsuccessful bid for this position, as the second largest party represented in Council, we will continue to use our strength of numbers to hold this failing administration to account.
“In the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections, residents will have the power to elect a DA majority in Council to bring stability to the City of Ekurhuleni and ensure that effective, ethical governance becomes the order of the day,” said Pretorius.
The ANC in Ekurhuleni welcomed the election of Mlambo as the Speaker of the City. The party Deputy Regional Secretary, Moipone Mhlongo, described the outcome as a true reflection of democratic processes and expressed confidence that Mlambo’s leadership will strengthen accountability, oversight, and good governance in our municipality.
“Following a transparent and democratic process, Cllr Dora Mlambo was elected with the highest number of votes.
“We congratulate Cllr Mlambo and wish her well as we work collectively to advance effective oversight and quality service delivery for the people of Ekurhuleni.”
