Morero blames former DA-led administration as ANC Johannesburg elects new leadership

Outgoing African National Congress (ANC) Joburg chairperson and City of Joburg mayor Dada Morero has again blamed the previous DA-led administration for the decline in revenue collection, rising debt levels, and unauthorised expenditure that he says have strained the city’s finances.

Morero reflected on his three-year tenure as regional chair as his term officially ended on Thursday. 

ANC branches are expected to elect new leaders later on Thursday at the party’s regional elective conference, currently under way at the Cedar Woods Hotel in Sandton.

Delivering his reflections, Morero said Johannesburg had made notable progress in cleaning up the city during his time in office.

“We are facing many challenges. As guided by the NEC, our challenges are systematic, structural, and financial. Systematically meaning we are constantly experiencing operational inefficiencies,” he said.

However, he said there were delays in infrastructure projects, service delivery backlogs, and underfunded mandates, all of which he said had compromised the quality of services rendered to residents.

According to him, the city’s structural challenges stem from governance shortcomings.

“There are persistent issues in accountability frameworks, oversight mechanisms, and leadership efficacy that have impeded effective decision-making and policy implementation,” he said.

He also acknowledged that the municipality has faced severe financial setbacks in recent years.

“Lastly, we are struggling to overcome the financial instability caused by the purple coalition. Slowly but surely, we are getting it right.”

Morero, who has served as mayor since August 2022 and previously as MMC for Finance in 2023, pointed fingers at the DA-led coalition that governed Johannesburg between 2016 and 2021.

“Since 2016, there has been a visible decline in revenue collection efficiency, coupled with escalating debt levels and unauthorised expenditures. This has strained the city’s fiscal health. We have said this before, and we are saying this again today.”

He urged delegates to choose leaders capable of steering the region through its challenges.

“Our challenges are complex, and they need complex solutions. This 16th Regional Conference must internalise these challenges. You have a responsibility to give us leaders who can handle these challenges and deliver results. The world is watching,” he said.

This is not the first time Morero has blamed the previous DA-led administration. In August this year, he also pointed fingers at the blue party for the challenges faced by the city.

Morero also addressed gender-based violence, describing it as a national crisis that must be confronted with the same determination used in the struggle against apartheid.

“Every means possible must be used,” he said.

Morero highlighted work undertaken by the “Bomb Squad,” a volunteer initiative aimed at tackling service delivery issues. 

Its focus areas include repairing potholes, cutting grass, restoring traffic lights, eliminating illegal dumping, fixing streetlights, addressing sewage spills, and formalising informal settlements.

“The creation of the Bomb Squad is a direct effort to revive the mass mobilisation pillar, aimed at mobilising communities to take charge of their own development,” he said.

“The Bomb Squad is our eyes and ears. The gap between us and the community is minimised because the Bomb Squad has narrowed the gap. This team of volunteers is our support mechanism. It is not an advisory structure, and we are pleased that they are working well with the administration.”

The initiative was formed as the metro continues to battle hijacked buildings, chronic water shortages, rolling power outages, pothole-riddled roads, broken traffic lights, rampant crime, and widespread municipal corruption. 

Residents have repeatedly voiced frustration over the city’s inability to address these long-standing issues.

Morero is seeking re-election, while former deputy secretary-general Loyiso Masuku is contesting the top regional post. 

Branch delegates are expected to elect new leaders who will guide the ANC in Johannesburg for the next three years.

If Morero loses, the party will need to decide whether he remains mayor of Johannesburg for the remainder of the local government term, which ends in November 2026.

Regional officials are scheduled to be nominated and voted for on Thursday afternoon, with the new leaders expected to be announced in the evening.

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