Johannesburger johannesburger deputy mayor vows to improve service delivery as Morero survives no-confidence
johannesburger Loyiso Masuku, the City of Johannesburg’s newly appointed deputy mayor, has promised to strengthen service delivery and tighten oversight across municipal departments. The development came as Mayor Dada Morero survived a no-confidence bid after the motion to remove him failed to be presented to council on Thursday.
Johannesburger deputy elected unopposed
Loyiso Masuku, who serves as the city’s finance MMC, was sworn in on Thursday after being elected unopposed as deputy mayor. Masuku was also recently elected as the ANC’s Greater Johannesburg regional chairperson and could potentially be the party’s mayoral candidate in this year’s local government elections. Masuku has also won a defamation case.
No-confidence motion falters
Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero faced a council meeting convened to deliberate over a no-confidence motion submitted by the Al Jama-ah party, but the motion failed to proceed when the proposer and the seconder were a no-show when it was called on Thursday. Council speaker Margaret Arnolds said their failure to present the motion meant it fell off the council agenda and was effectively cancelled.
Council speaker and legal concerns
Al Jama-ah had previously brought a motion in December that was withdrawn by its proposer, Kabelo Gwamanda, after he said it appeared as though their coalition partner, the ANC, was willing to ventilate challenges the minority bloc had with Morero’s leadership. The party later submitted a second motion citing similar complaints about Morero’s alleged non-consultation with coalition partners, but that motion was postponed with aggrieved parties agreeing to the postponement in the hope governing partners could iron out differences.
Al Jama-ah also requested that the motion be voted on by secret ballot, but Margaret Arnolds said the council rules were unclear about that procedure. Arnolds requested to consult with parliament and an external legal expert on the constitution, saying she feared that if she acceded while the rules were unclear the matter might end up in the courts.
Water crisis and public anger
The no-confidence motion was framed against a backdrop of a worsening water crisis and complaints about administrative delays and a lack of decisive leadership. Residents across the city continue to grapple with intermittent water supply, with some suburbs going days without water. Broken pipelines, ageing infrastructure and slow maintenance have left communities frustrated and angry.
Residents in Alexandra say they go for days without water, and communities in Soweto report similar interruptions. One local told council members: "It feels like the mayor is absent when we need him most. Johannesburg needs a leader who can act fast. " Sindisiwe Nkosi, another Johannesburg resident, said: "We are tired of this. So many promises, we have no water, power failures, the streets are a mess, potholes. Joburg is a crime zone. This is the same mayor that wanted to hire foreign nationals. We are tired. "
Controversial JMPD proposal withdrawn
The controversy around leadership included an August 2024 proposal by Morero to recruit foreign nationals into the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) to bridge language barriers in immigrant-heavy areas such as Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville. The proposal faced immediate backlash from opposition parties, residents and even the ANC, which called the plan "undesirable" and inconsistent with party policy. Critics also cited high unemployment among South African youth. Morero withdrew the proposal, issued a public apology and confirmed the city would not proceed with hiring non-citizens for the JMPD.
Coalition pressure and criticism
Coalition partners and opposition parties have increasingly questioned whether Morero is fit to lead, with parties represented in the Political Management Committee — including the EFF, Patriotic Alliance, AIC, APC, UDM and ATM — voicing growing dissatisfaction. Kenny Kunene, Deputy President of the Patriotic Alliance, accused Morero of regularly skipping PMC meetings and failing to implement decisions, saying: "If the ANC is reconsidering him, it’s very good. It is clear to all residents, Morero needs to go. " Kunene also described Morero as "simply not fit to run the city, " a view echoed by several coalition members who privately fear continued instability could worsen the water crisis and further undermine service delivery.
Some coalition partners have also expressed concern that the ANC should not hold both the mayoral and deputy mayoral positions within the metro government.
Beyond water, Morero has faced criticism over budget shortfalls and admini; unclear in the provided context.
The council meeting that saw the motion fall away also elected finance MMC Loyiso Masuku as deputy mayor unopposed, signalling a new political phase for the metro as leaders and parties continue to debate the city’s management and service delivery challenges.
johannesburger attention now turns to whether coalition tensions will ease and whether promised oversight and service improvements under Deputy Mayor Loyiso Masuku will materialise.
