Is Dada Morero’s apology enough to salvage his mayoral prospects?

According to The Citizen, City of Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero apologised after an exchange with a resident in which he told the person he was “talking sh*t”. The episode, captured on video, has raised questions about Morero’s temperament and his future as a political leader.

What happened

According to The Citizen, the incident took place during a recent community interaction in Tshepisong township. The argument began when an elderly man repeatedly accused the mayor of corruption, and Morero responded by saying the man was old and “talking rubbish.” After the clip went viral, Morero issued an apology, according to The Citizen.

Party reaction and apology

According to The Citizen, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa also apologised and asked Johannesburg residents to forgive Morero for his words. The mayor’s apology came after the viral spread of the footage, according to The Citizen.

Analysts: what the outburst signals

According to The Citizen, political analyst Goodenough Mashego said the comments “exposed his true colours and showed he was not a leader.” Mashego was quoted saying:

“He became a mayor because mayors kept dying and because of the government. He has never demonstrated in any capacity or in any ANC structure leadership qualities, such as the ability to listen… He is showing people who he really is, because he knows from the deliberations happening in the ANC that his game is over.”

According to The Citizen, Mashego added:

“Morero probably knows the deliberations are not favouring him and he no longer cares. But I think that is a mistake and he is closing doors for himself because they could deploy him somewhere.”

Impact on Morero’s prospects

According to The Citizen, political analyst Theo Neethling said the outburst “may hurt, but it is not guaranteed to eliminate his prospects” of being the ANC’s next mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. Neethling also said:

“The timing is poor, as the ANC is already struggling in the electoral landscape of the city, and Morero’s leadership abilities are being questioned… In the end, voters in Johannesburg are likely to assess him – and the ANC – not just based on this single outburst, but on their ability to offer credible leadership and address the city’s significant governance and service delivery issues.”

Broader party concerns

According to The Citizen, analyst Sandile Swana framed the episode within wider problems in the ANC, saying the party’s issues were widespread and not confined to one level. Swana was quoted:

“Almost every project is conceived because it offers opportunities for certain people to make money. A great deal of the ANC’s problems are occasioned by this… The ANC protects wrongdoers at the highest level and Morero will be protected. His destiny and rise to mayorship will be determined by ANC factions, not by his public errors.”

What remains clear

According to The Citizen, Morero apologised after the exchange and party leaders publicly distanced themselves from his remarks. Analysts quoted by The Citizen say the episode has political consequences, though they disagree on how decisive those consequences will be for Morero’s future.