Morero pushes vision for ‘energy democracy’ as Joburgers battle regular outages

By Lebone Rodah Mosima 

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero this week set out the city’s vision to become a leader in South Africa’s renewable energy transition, calling for “energy democracy” and reform, while speaking at the City Power Energy Indaba.

Morero said South Africa’s energy landscape, “once dominated by a single utility model,” was undergoing structural change.

“The old system, built on centralised coal generation and state monopolies, is no longer fit for purpose in a society that demands decentralisation, inclusion, and sustainability,” he said.

He described the Indaba as “a national call to imagination – a collective space to rethink how power is produced, owned, distributed, and governed in South Africa”.

Johannesburg’s electricity supply remains precarious. In July this year, an investigation by Daily Maverick found “a total of 97 715 reported power outages in nine months – with more than 5 126 serious enough to take out entire suburbs at once”. 

While Eskom