The City of Johannesburg's leadership will remain in place after the Democratic Alliance’s (DA's) motion to dissolve the council failed on Thursday.

With 228 councillors out of 270 present, 165 voted against the motion with no abstentions.

In her speech, DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said the call for the dissolution of council was not one made lightly "but rather out of a deep concern for the current state of governance in our city".

"It is evident that the council has been marred by inefficiency, infighting, squabbles of positions and a lack of meaningful progress in addressing the pressing issues facing our community. The decision to dissolve the council should be seen as an opportunity to reset our city in a way that better serves the needs of our citizens," she said.

She spoke to a background of chants and cusses that speaker Margaret Arnolds, who sat for her inaugural council meeting this week, tried in vain to contain.

The meeting on Thursday had only heard its first item at 11:20 and started with a fight between the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ActionSA. It ended with a member of the EFF telling an ActionSA member to meet him outside. The councillor stripped off his red jacket as he spoke.

Arnolds tried to hold the council to account by stating that the meeting was live and that residents were watching the shameful disorder.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku continued: "Over the past month, loadshedding had been taken over from Eskom by City Power, without adequate arrangement being made to ensure minimal disruption. Residents have over the past week been without power and without water in some areas. Our residents are not getting services for what they pay for".

In the last two years, the city has seen four mayors and three speakers, and the DA believes a motion of no confidence in the executive mayor and other leaders will just add to the instability.

If the motion was successful, the city would have an election after 90 days.

In the debate, Freedom Front Plus councillor Franco de Lange said it would be irresponsible to leave the city of Johannesburg without proper oversight for three months.

He added that there would never again be a single party that would rule by themselves in the city.

Councillor Mlungisi Mabaso said the Inkatha Freedom Party would not support the motion. He said the residents of Johannesburg entrusted this council of 18 parties to reflect their varying needs.

"The residents spoke through the voice of the coalition – to dismiss this voice [by dissolving the council] undermines this voice. The motion has no political logic."

MMC Kenny Kunene, speaking for the Patriotic Alliance (PA), said there were other councils run by the DA that were dysfunctional, but the DA did not want to dissolve those councils.

Kunene, sans the yarmulke he had worn on Wednesday, said the motion was inspired by racism, arrogance and rudeness towards the residents.

"Let them dissolve themselves," he added.

African National Congress (ANC) MMC Loyiso Masuku said the motion was brought by people who "could choose to resign if they wanted to". She called the motion "political buffoonery" and said if there was instability within the city, the people voted for it.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku concluded the debate by saying that blaming the residents for the instability was arrogant.

She said the Government of Local Unity, the ANC, EFF and PA pact, did not want to go back to the polls as they were scared the residents would reject them at the ballot box.