By Johnathan Paoli
Joburg mayor Dada Morero has survived a motion of no confidence initiated by the DA, securing 144 votes in his favor during a dramatic city council session on Wednesday.
A short while later, ActionSA Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu was removed from her position.
Of the councillors present, 144 supported Morero, 75 opposed him, and 43 abstained.
In Mthembu’s case, 212 council members voted for her removal, while 48 voted against it.
Johannesburg chief whip Sithembiso Zungu also survived a no-confidence motion, with 179 members voting against it, 69 in favor, and 6 abstentions recorded.
The DA’s motion sought to oust Morero, citing what it described as “a total collapse” of governance.
Morero, however, dismissed the motion as politically motivated.
“We are here today because of a democratic process, not because of genuine concerns. These motions aim to destabilise the City of Johannesburg and distract from the real work of governance,” said Morero.
Despite sustained criticism of Morero’s leadership across party lines, the coalition supporting the Government of Local Unity (GLU), including the African National Congress (ANC), Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Patriotic Alliance (PA), Al Jama-ah, and minority parties, closed ranks to block the DA’s effort.
Chris Vondo, mayoral Spokesperson, said that the decision to retain Morero clearly reflects the majority of parties supporting stability, continuity, and improved service delivery in Johannesburg.
“We are in agreement that Johannesburg has serious challenges. However, we are now focused on turning around the situation. We have put in place solutions and interventions that are moving us in the right direction,” said Vondo.
“We are building the Johannesburg we want to see. The beauty of this process is that we are supported by the Presidential Support Package, the Bomb Squad, Private Sector and civil society. We reaffirm our commitment to implement the IDP and its budget. We reaffirm our commitment to continue implementing the High-impact service delivery programme.”
The motion was sponsored by DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku, who sharply criticised Morero’s administration.
“Under the current leadership, basic services are crumbling, communities are being neglected, and the machinery of local government is grinding to a halt. He has become a rogue mayor, bypassing council processes to appoint a so-called ‘bomb squad’ without any legal basis or political consultation,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku said.
She further alleged that Johannesburg’s fruitless and wasteful expenditure had ballooned to R23 billion, citing internal leaks and a lack of transparency.
“The collapse has accelerated under this mayor’s leadership. We’ve written letters, asked questions, and received evasions in return,” she said.
Crucially, ActionSA, the third-largest party in the council with 44 seats, chose to abstain from the vote, despite labelling Morero’s tenure as a failure.
“In considering ActionSA’s approach to these motions, we remain unequivocal in our view that Dada Morero has failed in his leadership of the City of Johannesburg. Service delivery is collapsing, infrastructure is failing, and entities like City Power are becoming dysfunctional,” provincial chairperson Funzi Ngobeni said.
However, the party defended its abstention by citing a lack of DA consultation and concerns about political instability.
“Any motion to remove a mayor must present a viable alternative. That clarity was lacking,” Ngobeni said.
ActionSA Councillor, Advice Chuma, added: “The undeniable truth is that Johannesburg is in crisis. Service delivery has collapsed; infrastructure is decaying before our eyes. Power and water outages are part of daily lives in this City. ActionSA will not vote to defend Dada Morero. We will not vote for a mayor who has presided over this mess. What’s more shocking, is the silence of EFF, IFP & PA who know fully well that this is a mayor who doesn’t bother to consult on the SOCA, doesn’t bother to consult on the Budget.”
The ANC in Johannesburg rallied behind Morero, with regional spokesperson Masilo Serekele accusing the DA of opportunism.
“The city is the way it is because of leadership instability since 2016. It’s opportunistic to blame the ANC when we are now trying to stabilise finances and restore services,” Serekele said.
Morero’s office, via spokesperson Chris Vondo, defended the controversial “bomb squad” of advisors the DA attacked, insisting it was legally constituted under the Municipal Structures Act.
“This is a team of capable, voluntarily engaged professionals—former city managers, engineers, economists. They are here to turn around Johannesburg. The mayor is empowered to assemble such a team, contrary to the DA’s claims,” Vondo said.
The Patriotic Alliance (PA), which holds eight seats, made its position clear ahead of the vote.
“We are going to save the Mayor and the Chief Whip. We will vote against the DA’s motion and support the Al Jama-ah motion to remove the Speaker of Council today,” PA deputy president Kenny Kunene said.
The DA’s Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku had previously accused Mthembu of failing to act impartially and enabling executive overreach.
Her removal marks a significant blow to ActionSA’s influence in the Johannesburg council.
Johannesburg remains under the spotlight as the city continues to battle infrastructure decay, financial instability, and governance paralysis.
The ANC-EFF-PA-led coalition has struggled to reverse the deterioration that has plagued the city for nearly a decade.
The city’s budget for 2025/2026 is set at R89 billion.
Morero has pledged to prioritise infrastructure rehabilitation and improved revenue collection.
With seven mayors in seven years and no clear political centre of gravity, Johannesburg’s governance remains fragile.
While Morero has survived this motion, the fissures within the coalition, and between major opposition parties, reveal a deeply fragmented city leadership.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont summed up the delicate balancing act.
“Issue-by-issue politics is what we’ve committed to. But any party that undermines a successful mayor will pay the ultimate price. Stability must trump ambition,” he said.
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