By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
City of Johannesburg executive mayor Dada Morero has survived a no-confidence motion brought against him in a council sitting on 25 June 2025.
Morero, council speaker Nobuhle Mthembu and chief whip Sithembiso Zungu were all set to face a no-confidence motion.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) motion accused Morero of mismanagement, fostering patronage networks, and lacking transparency. It claimed his administration had overseen declining basic services, neglected communities, and stalled governance.
DA caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku expressed hope that parties and individuals who pledged to support the motion against Morero will follow through on their commitment.
“A day is a long time in politics. We cannot predict what will happen. It could be that some councillors were so badly intimidated that they are now forced to abstain, “she said.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku claimed that the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) agreed to support the motion.
The motion failed despite earlier signs that opposition parties such as ActionSA would not defend Morero’s leadership.
ActionSA provincial leader Funzi Ngobeni on Wednesday, said that the party cannot defend a mayor with a questionable track record.
“ActionSA will not vote to defend this indefensible track record, especially when basic governance matters are being mishandled without consultation.
“The announcement of the ‘Bomb Squad’ has lacked credibility as a gimmick, and the city has failed to recruit senior managers, opting instead for acting arrangements involving questionable characters in perpetuity,” he said.
Ngobeni said he is aware that the ANC might retaliate and vote against Mthembu, who is an ActionSA member.
“This decision was taken with full knowledge that ActionSA’s refusal will likely result in the ANC retaliating against the ActionSA speaker in the motion tabled against her, “he said.
During Wednesday’s council vote, 75 councillors supported the motion, while 144 voted against it. Forty-three abstained.
“The councillors who abstained from this voting process: 43. The yeses – 75. The nos -144. The motion does not pass, “said Mthembu.
This prompted cheers from Morero’s supporters, including members of his mayoral committee.
The Johannesburg City Council has 270 seats; 136 votes were needed for the motion to pass. With 71 seats, the DA required support from other parties to remove Morero.
Morero, who also chairs the ANC’s regional structure in Johannesburg, was not the only official under fire.
Mthembu failed to retain her position on Wednesday as 212 councillors voted in favour of the motion of no confidence against her, with 48 rejecting the move.
Al Jama-ah sponsored a motion against Mthembu.
The council will discuss two more motions, with the DA tabling a motion against council chief whip Zungu.
South Africa’s economic hub has severely deteriorated over the past several years.
Pothole-ridden roads and litter-strewn streets have become common sights. Many derelict buildings in the inner city are now home to squatters, underscoring a deepening housing crisis that the government has struggled to address.
According to city data, around 40% of Johannesburg’s water supply is lost due to leaking pipes and aging infrastructure, leading to water cuts.
Electricity losses are also significant, with roughly 35% of power lost, primarily due to cable theft and illegal connections. These losses contribute to widespread outages and reduced service delivery.
This is happening in a metro that is responsible for 16% of South Africa’s GDP and employs 12% of the national workforce.
The ANC in the city blamed political instability and the change of political leadership in most municipalities post the 2016 municipal elections for the challenges plaguing South Africa’s economic heartland.