The City of Cape Town has elected Felicity Purchase as the new Speaker.
The election of Purchase comes after the retirement of Dirk Smit, who served as councillor and Speaker for 15 years.
The ANC nominated its caucus chief whip, Noluthando Makasi, as the preferred candidate while the African Christian Democratic Party's Grant Haskin also threw his name in the hat.
Purchase served as a councillor for 26 years, and was currently the mayco member for transport.
" I am a firm believer that we need to operate in an environment of accountability as, without it, we risk sliding towards mediocrity, which we must always guard against," said Purchase.
The speaker is responsible for ensuring oversight, accountability, integrity, discipline of office, and the efficient running of council meetings.
They are required to be impartial in the exercise of their function.
The ANC was not pleased with the election of Purchase and regarded it as a move to snub Democratic Alliance caucus chair in the council , Mzuvukile Nikelo.
The party said in a statement that Nikelo was expected to be next to rise to the chair as he had been prepared to take over.
"Nikelo 's colour disadvantaged him from ascending to the higher position,"
The party also accused Purchase of not achieving much in her current portfolio of Transport and Urban Development.
"We are not expecting much, instead we will have a chaotic council. Her appointment was a rescue effort ," the ANC' caucus spokesperson, Fiona Abrahams said.
Purchase expressed her commitment to working with all councillors to ensure that the City of Cape Town "continues to be the best run" City in South Africa.