On Friday, Johannesburg elected Dada Morero as its new mayor, making him the seventh person to lead South Africa’s largest city in just three years. Residents have been voicing concerns about rising crime and declining basic services.
Morero, from the African National Congress (ANC), steps in after Kabelo Gwamanda resigned under pressure. Gwamanda, who was with the Al Jama-ah party, had been chosen last year as a compromise between the ANC and its main coalition partner at the time, the Economic Freedom Fighters.
Recent years have seen a lot of political instability in Johannesburg, as no single party holds a majority in the city council. Morero was elected by a coalition led by the ANC, which includes Action SA and several smaller parties.
This instability has led to issues with services like water, electricity, and road maintenance. Neeshan Balton from the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and the Joburg Crisis Alliance said there is a lack of consistent policy and that each mayor seems to run their office as their own.
Last month, the alliance protested for Gwamanda’s resignation, although he defended his record, claiming he had improved governance.
Johannesburg, with around 6 million residents, features a mix of luxury areas like Sandton, known as “Africa’s richest square mile,” and struggling neighborhoods with issues like gang control and litter.
The ANC aims to stabilize the city’s government, recognizing poor local services as a factor in their recent national election losses. ANC spokesperson Zuko Godlimpi mentioned that improving local government is a priority, starting with Johannesburg.
Morero had a brief stint as mayor in 2022 before his predecessor was reinstated by court order.
