Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has outlined his administration’s key priorities, including reclaiming the inner city from illegal occupants, upgrading critical infrastructure, and stabilizing municipal finances, during his State of the City Address.
Despite acknowledging financial challenges, Morero emphasized that the city remains capable of meeting its obligations. “We are still able to meet our financial obligations, but we’re not happy with the state of our finances,” he said. “We wanted to improve, but at this stage, we’re not happy with it. At least we can service our loans, but we need to do more to address infrastructure backlogs.”
Infrastructure and Service Delivery Focus
The mayor highlighted the dire state of Johannesburg’s infrastructure, estimating that resolving water, electricity, and road issues would require around R200 billion. Among the key projects announced is a R296 million initiative to electrify informal settlements, targeting areas such as Deep Sloot, Orange Farm, Ivory Park, and Kaalfontein.
“This initiative will provide safe and legal electricity access to thousands of households, integrating them into the urban energy system and laying the groundwork for future service upgrades,” Morero stated.
Opposition Challenges No-Confidence Motion
The address comes amid political tensions, with the opposition party submitting a motion of no confidence against both the mayor and Council Speaker Ken Banda. However, ANC regional secretary Dada Morero dismissed the threat, citing previous defeats of similar motions in other municipalities.
“We can confidently declare that anyone who wants to bring a motion of no confidence against any of our leaders can try—we are ready for them,” Morero said. “They tried in Ekurhuleni and the City of Tshwane, and we defeated them. There’s no need to panic in Johannesburg.”
Last month, the opposition also attempted to remove the council speaker, but the motion was unsuccessful.
Moving Forward
Despite financial constraints and political opposition, Mayor Morero remains focused on service delivery, particularly in underdeveloped communities. The electrification project signals a step toward formalizing informal settlements, while broader infrastructure plans aim to address long-standing service gaps.
As Johannesburg navigates these challenges, the mayor’s administration insists it remains committed to stabilizing the city’s finances and improving living conditions for residents.
