Is Morero Good For Joburg?

Silent: Head Of Local Government 'Should Be The Voice And Face Of The City

It is shameful, if not predictable, that Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero did not feel it important to respond to questions posed to him as part of the State of the City feature series.

At a time when collapsing infrastructure, poor service delivery and a lack of accountability are rife, the mayor, as the head of local government, needs to be held accountable.

"Johannesburg is in a crisis because of incompetent mayors over the last several years," says Prof William Gumede from the Wits School of Governance.

"If you combine corruption with incompetence, it is disastrous for any city and will take years to overcome when the right people are eventually put in place."

He says many people don't understand that they can't expect a functioning city with service delivery and prosperity if corrupt officials are elected.

"It will never happen and has never happened in the history of mankind."

Mark Heywood, human rights activist and writer, says: "Dada Morero is deeply complicit in the development of the corruption and management crisis in Johannesburg and is therefore not fit to be its mayor. His interests are primarily for his party, the ANC, his cronies and himself."

Heywood says Johannesburg needs a new political beginning, which will only happen if its citizens prepare now to elect competent leaders in 2026.

"These should be politicians who are tried and tested servants of their communities, who are accountable, transparent and willing to work together to build an inclusive, dynamic city."

Ward 98 councillor Beverly Jacobs says of the mayor, who was installed in August for a second time after a brief stint in 2022: