Mixed reactions as parties respond to Morero’s election as Joburg mayor

• Dada Morero was elected as Joburg’s new mayor on Friday night.
• ActionSA, the DA and the ANC responded to his election with mixed reactions.
• Morero retained most of the MMCs who served under former mayor Kabelo Gwamanda.

The three largest parties in the Council have responded to Dada Morero’s election as the new mayor of the City of Joburg with mixed emotions. 

While the ANC has assured residents that under Morero’s leadership, the City will accelerate service delivery, the DA believes his election as mayor will have dire consequences.

ActionSA has promised to watch Morero’s leadership in serving the residents of Johannesburg closely.

Morero received 189 votes to 60 votes for DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku.

He replaced Kabelo Gwamanda, who resigned following pressure to give up the position.

The DA fielded Kayser-Echeozonjoku as its candidate for the mayoral position after its motion to dissolve the Council failed.

READ | Morero is Joburg’s new mayor, while Speaker sheds tears at her shock removal

On Friday, ahead of the Council sitting to elect a mayor, Kayser-Echeozonjoku said that the only solution to bringing stability to the City of Johannesburg was the dissolution of the Council and the formation of a new one.

“Given the merry-go-round of mayors, who have tried and failed to hold together Johannesburg’s unwieldy and ungovernable coalitions, it is time to recognise that the 2021 local election delivered such a fragmented result that it has proved almost impossible to put together a workable government,” she said.

The motion failed and Morero, who served for 25 days as mayor in 2022, was elected to wear the mayoral chain again after receiving the support of ActionSA, Al Jama-ah, AIC, Good, ATM, AHC, UDM, Cope, PAC, APC and UIM.

Following the election of Morero, Kayser-Echeozonjoku said, in a statement, that the parties that supported the mayor’s election could have sided with the DA’s “track record of service delivery, good governance, and accountability”.

But instead of this, they “decided to align themselves with the ANC’s legacy of corruption and decline”.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku:

However, Sasabona Manganye, ANC Greater Joburg Regional Secretary, said under Morero’s leadership as new mayor the party is committed to rebuilding a city that will bring government closer to the people and accelerate service delivery.

“We will revitalise the inner city, repurposing hijacked buildings for productive use, such as attracting businesses and investment, and build a smart, connected city through digitisation.

“The ANC-led government of local unity will prioritise an accelerated service delivery programme, focusing on operations that directly improve the quality of life for Johannesburg’s residents, ensuring a tangible impact on their daily lives.

“We envision a city governed by citizen-centric leadership, where residents’ voices and needs are heard and prioritised. We are dedicated to delivering efficient and effective governance to the people of Johannesburg, driven by capable leaders who prioritise their needs and quality of life, while enhancing the capacity and quality of our service delivery.

“We have every confidence that Comrade Dada Morero possesses the leadership acumen and vision to bring this transformative agenda to fruition, and we will support him and his collective in this endeavour,” he said. 

ActionSA, one of the parties that loudly called for Gwamanda to resign in exchange for voting for Morero as mayor, said it would be playing “a constructive role in our legislative oversight capacity to ensure that restoring effective frontline service delivery to the residents of Johannesburg remains central to the new administration’s work”.

One of the conditions for ActionSA voting for a mayor from the ANC benches was that the party gets the position of speaker.

And from the events of Friday night at the Council, it appeared that it got its wishes. 

This is after Margaret Arnolds was announced as the new MMC of Finance, a position previously held by Morero.

This effectively makes way for a candidate from ActionSA to become a speaker.

Following Morero’s election, ActionSA caucus leader Nobuhle Mthembu said the party would not co-govern with the ANC but would use its legislative oversight to engage on an issue-by-issue basis with other parties in Council.

She said ActionSA would do this to “ensure the best interests of residents are duly protected”.

“ActionSA recognises that Mayor Morero faces an incredibly daunting task, assuming responsibility for a city plagued by widespread breakdowns in service delivery, limping city entities, lawlessness, decaying infrastructure, and a declining economic standing,” said Mthembu.

“Importantly, while the election of a new mayor is only the first step, rebuilding Johannesburg will require the execution of a sustained programme of action, informed by a clear plan, political will, the abandonment of patronage and profligacy, and most importantly, the best interests of residents.” 

Following his election and swearing-in, Morero also announced his mayoral committee, which had only two changes.

He appointed Gwamanda as the MMC of Community Development, while Arnolds took on his previous role. 

Other MMCs kept their positions, and the only person who did not make it back is ATM’s lone councillor, Lubabalo Magwentshu, who served in the position now occupied by Gwamanda.