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Public vote looms as pressure mounts on Joburg mayor Dada Morero
Johannesburg council braces for high-stakes vote on Mayor Morero
It is another tense morning at the Johannesburg council chamber as Mayor Dada Morero prepares to face yet another motion of no confidence. This time, the political temperature is higher than usual, not just because the numbers are tight, but because councillors are expected to vote in full view of their parties, their colleagues, and the public.
According to information emerging ahead of the sitting, a secret ballot is unlikely. That detail alone changes everything. Without the shield of anonymity, councillors who want Morero out will need to raise their hands openly, a move that carries real political consequences inside party structures.
Why this vote feels different
Motions of no confidence are nothing new in Johannesburg’s fragile coalition politics. What makes this one stand out is timing. The motion has been brought by Al Jama-ah, which says it has lost confidence in Morero’s ability to lead the city. On its own, that is not unusual. What is unusual is the growing unrest inside the ANC itself.
Morero’s grip on power weakened significantly late last year when he lost his position as ANC Johannesburg regional chairperson at the party’s elective conference. Since then, internal factions have become increasingly vocal, with some openly pushing for a change at the top of the city.
The ANC fault line running through council
At the centre of the internal ANC battle is Loyiso Masuku, the current MMC for Finance and now the ANC’s Johannesburg regional chairperson. A faction within the party wants Masuku to take over as mayor, arguing that she has the political mandate after her conference victory.
Relations between Morero and this faction have been strained for months. Matters worsened after Morero raised concerns with Luthuli House about alleged vote rigging and the use of money to influence the conference outcome. Masuku’s supporters strongly reject those claims, insisting the conference was free and fair.
This internal fight has spilled into council politics, blurring the line between party business and city governance.
Open hands, open consequences
If the vote proceeds without a secret ballot, councillors will have to show their positions publicly. For ANC councillors in particular, that creates a moment of reckoning. Voting against Morero could be seen as defying party instructions if the ANC formally decides to protect him. Supporting him, on the other hand, could inflame tensions with the Masuku-aligned faction that now holds regional power.
Minority parties have also added pressure, with some calling on the ANC to recall Morero entirely. As of midweek, the party was still consulting internally, signalling that even at the eleventh hour, the outcome remains uncertain.
A possible compromise behind the scenes
There is talk of a political halfway house. One proposal doing the rounds is to appoint Masuku as deputy mayor as a way to calm her faction while keeping Morero in office. In Johannesburg politics, such compromises are not unusual, though they rarely bring long-term stability.
On social media, residents are watching the drama with a mix of fatigue and frustration. Many Joburgers are less concerned with party manoeuvring and more focused on service delivery, electricity reliability, water issues, and the city’s finances. For them, today’s vote is another reminder of how often leadership battles overshadow everyday governance.
What happens next
Whether Morero survives or not, the vote will expose where loyalties truly lie inside the council. A public show of hands will leave little room for ambiguity, and the political consequences will likely extend well beyond today’s sitting.
For Johannesburg, this is less about one mayor and more about a city still struggling to find political stability in a deeply divided council. As the meeting unfolds, all eyes will be on who raises their hand and who keeps it firmly down.
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Source: The Citizen
Featured Image: Salaamedia
