‘Bomb Squad’ Deployed: Joburg Gears Up for G20 with Veteran-Led Crisis Team

Veteran leadership to clean up Joburg before the world arrives

In a bold move to reclaim Johannesburg’s reputation as South Africa’s economic engine, Mayor Dada Morero is calling in reinforcements. On Thursday, he’s officially unveiling the City of Johannesburg’s so-called “Bomb Squad” a task team of experienced operatives led by ANC Veterans League president Dr. Snuki Zikalala. The timing? No coincidence. With the G20 Summit just five months away, the city is in a desperate race to fix what’s broken before the world comes knocking.

And what’s broken? Just about everything.

A city in slow collapse

From hijacked buildings and dry taps to flickering traffic lights and roads that feel like obstacle courses, Joburg has seen better days. Residents are exhausted by years of empty promises, service failures, and worsening crime. Ramaphosa himself didn’t mince words when he visited in March, saying Joburg is battling “governance instability and deteriorating infrastructure.”

Now, Morero is trying something different, something with symbolic and strategic punch.

Enter the “Bomb Squad.”

What is the Bomb Squad, really?

Far from being a group in hazmat suits diffusing actual explosives, the Joburg Bomb Squad is a metaphorical cleanup crew—charged with detecting the city’s most pressing service delivery issues and intervening fast. Its purpose is to explode bureaucratic logjams, detonate inefficiencies, and ultimately repair the damage that has festered for years.

Zikalala, a veteran journalist and former SABC boss with deep ties to struggle history and policy circles, is set to lead the charge. He’ll coordinate closely with the newly announced Johannesburg Presidential Support Working Group, a national intervention structure created to support local government more effectively.

Why now? Why this team?

The optics matter. Joburg is set to host the G20 Summit in November—welcoming leaders from the world’s largest economies. But right now, the city can’t even guarantee stable power or functioning streetlights. That’s not the kind of spotlight any global capital wants.

Morero knows this. That’s why he’s positioning the Bomb Squad as the tip of the spear in a larger turnaround plan.

“This team must remove constraints that impact the city’s ability to create the Joburg we want to see,” he said in his State of the City Address.

The urgency is real—and not just for show.

Public reaction: cautious optimism, tempered by history

On social media, Joburgers have responded with a mix of curiosity, sarcasm, and guarded hope. “Can the Bomb Squad fix my geyser too?” one user quipped on X. Others noted that while the initiative sounds promising, it’s been a long time since any mayoral team delivered lasting change.

Some critics question the political nature of the appointments, with Zikalala being a prominent ANC figure. But supporters argue that seasoned leadership may be exactly what’s needed to cut through red tape and get things done.

A fresh approach or another band-aid?

This isn’t the first time the city has promised a turnaround, but the Bomb Squad—linked directly to the President’s support structures may have more muscle behind it than past initiatives. Its success will hinge on transparency, urgency, and whether it can restore residents’ trust one pothole and power line at a time.

Whether this task team is a real fix or political theatre, one thing is clear: Johannesburg is on deadline. The world will be watching in November, and how Joburg presents itself will speak volumes about the state of urban governance in South Africa.

If the Bomb Squad succeeds, it could be a model for national crisis interventions. If it fails, Joburg’s problems will be on global display.

Only time and action will tell.

{Source: IOL}

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