Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero has survived another day after a no-confidence motion against him was deferred. City councillors were focused on debating whether to create a position for the first deputy mayor, weighing the R1.2m cost and the necessity of the new post amid rising living costs. After almost 10 hours of deliberations on Thursday, 29 January, Johannesburg Executive Mayor Dada Morero walked out of the Conny Bapela Council Chambers still in his job, after a motion of no confidence against him was deferred.
The motion, brought by Al Jama-ah councillor and former mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, was postponed after the party requested that it be debated and voted on by secret ballot, citing Rule 18 of the Standing Rules and Orders of Council. Although it is unlikely the motion will be considered in secrecy, as council rules do not provide for secret ballots in motions of no confidence or removal, nor do they give the speaker the authority to approve one, the party is hoping to secure support from smaller parties as well as the DA, which has previously tabled a similar motion against Morero without success, and, importantly, from a faction within the ANC. The motion is expected to return to council on a date to be set by Speaker Margaret Arnolds.
The key outcome of the meeting was the adoption of a report that clears the way for the city to appoint its first deputy mayor. This is a new political post that will cost taxpayers more than R1.2-million a year. The proposal to have a deputy mayor in Joburg dates back to 2023, when the then speaker of council received a letter from the Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and infrastructure suggesting the city consider appointing a deputy mayor, in line with the Municipal Structures Act, saying the executive mayor’s workload had grown because of rising service delivery pressures, intergovernmental work and oversight duties.
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However, the proposal was never tabled because of major leadership changes in both the executive and legislative arms of the city. The proposal, spearheaded by the ANC, passed on Thursday after a heated exchange in the council chambers, securing 187 votes in favour. Eighty-seven councillors, including those from the DA, EFF and ActionSA, voted against it, while 37 councillors, largely from the smaller parties, abstained.
He said most residents continued to suffer under the city’s broken service delivery. “Since the ANC-led coalition took over, Joburg’s financial and service delivery situation has only worsened, and we have seen the city failing to pay Rand Water; contractors building the Water Tower at Brixton; and most recently, we have seen the failure to pay Pikitup staff lead to services coming to a standstill.
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