ANC Johannesburg’s new chairperson, Loyiso Masuku, after winning an election during the 16th Regional Conference at the CedarWoods Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg, 5 December 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen The recent defeat of Joburg mayor Dada Morero as the ANC’s Johannesburg regional chair was not a quiet reshuffle. It was a loud rejection.
Delegates sent a clear message: the city is failing, residents are angry and the ANC can no longer pretend that things are under control. Masuku’s rise is historic, but it is also practical. She is the first woman to lead the ANC’s biggest region, yet she brings more than symbolism.
Masuku has real experience in Johannesburg’s government, having served as MMC across various portfolios. She knows how the city works, where it breaks down and what stands in the way of delivery. She is not a newcomer; she understands the system she must now try to fix.
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Her trajectory also carries the weight of political rehabilitation. Masuku was thrust into the national spotlight during Gauteng’s Covid PPE procurement scandal, when allegations of irregular contracts rocked the province. Although she was implicated, she was eventually cleared of wrongdoing by the Special Investigating Unit.
That clearance allowed her to return to public office. Her victory, however, creates an awkward and tense situation. Masuku now leads the ANC in Johannesburg while Morero still occupies the mayor’s office.
Two centres of power in a struggling city rarely end well. Morero may still wear the mayoral chain but, politically, he is weakened. If the city continues to decline, pressure will grow for Masuku to push for change at the top.
Morero’s defeat may only be the beginning, even though he seems safe for now until next year’s local government elections. For residents, the internal drama matters only if it brings results. People want running water, working electricity, safer streets and regular refuse collection.
Johannesburg has endured years of unstable coalitions, rapid mayoral changes and a steady slide in service delivery. Masuku’s win has created excitement inside the ANC, but residents will judge her by how well she monitors Morero, not her speeches.
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