By Johnathan Paoli
The African National Congress (ANC) in Johannesburg has taken a decision to recall Dada Morero as mayor of the City of Johannesburg, following an urgent meeting of the party’s regional leadership that the party says exposed deepening divisions within the organisation.
An urgent and special meeting of the party’s Regional Executive Committee (REC) on Saturday resolved to remove Morero from the mayoral position.
Regional officials have now been tasked with informing provincial and national party leadership of the decision, which could trigger a leadership shake-up in the country’s economic hub.
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The move comes amid escalating tensions within the Johannesburg ANC following a legal challenge to the legitimacy of the party’s December regional conference, a contest in which Morero lost the regional chairperson position to Loyiso Masuku.
According to reports, the emergency REC meeting was convened after the regional leadership was served with court papers contesting the conference outcome.
The legal challenge was filed by Stanley Itshegetseng, believed to be Morero’s special adviser in the metropolitan municipality.
Senior ANC leaders in the region reportedly interpreted the court action as being linked to Morero himself, prompting a reassessment of whether he could continue to serve as mayor.
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According to Live News, an anonymous senior regional ANC leader said the relationship between Morero and the elected regional leadership had deteriorated beyond repair.
“The REC is reviewing its decision to keep Dada as mayor because the relationship is irreconcilable as the state is used to undermine the elected leadership,” the leader said.
Another anonymous REC member was even more direct, arguing that Morero could no longer remain in office if the party hoped to stabilise itself ahead of local government elections later this year.
“We can’t co-exist. If we are to save the ANC and prepare adequately for elections, Dada Morero cannot continue to be allowed to abuse the state to undermine elected leadership and undermine the unity and cohesion of the ANC,” the REC member reportedly said.
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Regional leaders accused Morero of initiating what they described as “parallel programmes” since the December conference that allegedly undermined the authority of the new regional leadership.
The dispute follows Morero’s own challenge to the legitimacy of the conference that saw Masuku elected as the first female ANC regional chairperson in Johannesburg.
In a letter dated 21 January addressed to Gauteng provincial task team co-ordinator Hope Papo and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, Morero raised concerns about the processes used to appoint the electoral committee that oversaw the conference.
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“The severity of the alleged transgressions by the election agency necessitates clarification from the provincial task team regarding their appointment process, especially in light of the agency’s conduct, which threatens the integrity of the ANC’s internal democratic processes,” Morero wrote.
The dispute intensified after reports that ballot boxes from the conference were allegedly discovered at a house in Pretoria, prompting a dramatic standoff involving police, politicians and the occupants of the property.
Mbalula later confirmed that there was preliminary evidence suggesting potential irregularities in how the conference had been conducted.
“This information was investigated, and it was confirmed that it pointed to prima facie misconduct. Based on this information, ANC security reported the matter to the South African Police Service,” Mbalula said.
Masuku’s election marked a historic moment for the ANC in Johannesburg.
She secured the regional chairperson position with 184 votes, defeating Morero, who received 149 votes.
Her rise in the party coincided with her appointment as Johannesburg’s deputy mayor, a role that placed her at the centre of efforts to stabilise the city’s finances and improve governance.
Masuku, who previously served as the MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, has more than a decade of experience in government administration and ANC organisational structures.
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The city has been grappling with ballooning irregular expenditure amounting to R22.2 billion, while fruitless and wasteful expenditure has exceeded R705 million.
Morero had earlier been given a 14-day deadline by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, to present a plan to stabilise the city’s finances and recover R24.4 billion in unauthorised, irregular and wasteful spending.
The city has also faced mounting service delivery challenges, including erratic electricity supply, billing disputes, a water supply crisis and deteriorating infrastructure.
The decision to recall Morero could dramatically reshape the leadership of the metropolitan government, potentially placing Masuku in a stronger position within the city’s fragile political landscape.
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