Dada Morero was elected the City of Johannesburg’s new mayor. He declared the city a “construction site” to attract investors and create jobs. Picture: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL
For his second maiden speech, newly elected Joburg mayor, Dada Morero, declared the city a “construction site”, and would prioritise financial sustainability, service delivery, fighting crime and waste removal for the city.
“The people of Johannesburg have tasked us with basic duties of making sure that water comes out of their taps, lights come on, waste is collected, traffic lights work, buses operate efficiently, and people live in safer communities,” he said
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, he explained the city being a construction site would attract potential international investors, eventually creating sustainable job opportunities for residents.
“We have to attract as much investments as possible, because if we are able to turn Johannesburg into a construction site, we have the opportunities to create jobs and grow the economy. It is time Joburg must reclaim its place globally,” said Morero.
He further hinted that there would be 10 Joburg Metro Police officers (JMPD) in local wards to tighten the fight against crime for safer communities. Following mounting calls to scrap the electricity surcharge, Morero said it was under review until January.
As the city is the echelon of (illegal) immigrants, there have been growing concerns that foreigners are operating illegal shops and selling expired foods to school learners.
Thus, despite being coalition partners, ActionSA has urged the mayor to hold the Department of Home Affairs accountable for harbouring undocumented foreigners in the city.
The party’s regional caucus leader, Nobuhle Mthembu, stressed that Morero should address the growing trend of defaulting municipal services ratepayers as it infringes on the city’s purse, adding that local government must engage with the private sector to counter housing backlog.
Additionally, she encouraged Morero to walk in the footsteps of ActionSA leader, Herman Mashaba, who once was mayor in order to lead a clean, stable and progressive government.
“ActionSA recognises that Morero faces an incredibly daunting task, assuming responsibility for a city plagued by widespread breakdowns in service delivery, limping city entities, lawlessness, decaying infrastructure, and a declining economic standing.
“Fortunately, we have stepped up to provide the mayor with the necessary framework to overcome this crisis and get the city back on track towards growth. As evidenced by the successful tenure of Mashaba as the mayor of Johannesburg, ActionSA’s blueprint, which we intend to ensure is reflected in Morero’s administration, providing every opportunity for the mayor and his team to fulfil the commitment to rebuild Johannesburg,” said Mthembu.
The DA opposed Morero’s candidacy by nominating its regional leader, Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku. However, she lost 60 votes against Morero, who garnered 189 of the total.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku stated that Morero’s election was a legacy of the ANC’s history in corruption, which would spiral the metro’s reputation as the leading economic hub.
Instead of returning the metro under governance of the DA, she blamed parties that are in coalitions with the ANC, listing the EFF, ActionSA, Patriotic Alliance, VF Plus and Al Jama-ah.
“These parties could have sided with the DA’s track record of service delivery, good governance, and accountability. But they decided to align themselves with the ANC’s legacy of corruption and decline. Instead of doing the right thing by Johannesburg residents, they chose positions in a coalition that has already demonstrated its incapacity to govern,” said Kayser-Echeozonjoku.
The Star
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