ANC regional chair and Johannesburg MMC for finance Dada Morero has been elected as the new mayor of Johannesburg. (Lubabalo Lesolle/Gallo Images)
ANC regional chair and Johannesburg MMC for finance Dada Morero has been elected as the new mayor, succeeding Kabelo Gwamanda who resigned on Tuesday in the eighth change in city’s top job since December 2019.
Gwamanda, who quit as mayor after the ANC pushed for him to make way for Morero, has now replaced Lubabalo Magwentshu as the head of community development in the municipal mayoral committee while outgoing speaker Margaret Arnolds takes over from Morero as MMC for finance.
This is Morero’s second bite as mayor, having served in the post for just 25 days in 2022 before the Johannesburg high court ruled that his election was unlawful.
On Friday Morero received 189 votes from councillors from the ANC, Economic Freedom Fighters, ActionSA and smaller parties, while his challenger, Democratic Alliance (DA) caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku received 60 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Morero said the 29 May national and provincial elections required politicians to listen to voters, while their constitutional responsibility required all of them to move together.
He said the numerous leadership changes since 2016 — when the ANC first lost control of Johannesburg to the DA in local government elections — had been disruptive and could not continue.
“Cities are meant to be developmental resilient and sustainable because they shape the form of societies. We must rise above our day to day challenges so that we can re-imagine a Johannesburg inclusive and colourful and full of love,” he said.
“We must continue to make Johannesburg a world class African city of the future. Our city must remain vibrant, equitable and it must be strengthened through diversity.”
In a statement, Arnolds said she was confident that Morero’s leadership would bring about the positive change that the city needed. She said Johannesburg’s challenges were vast, but could be overcome with strong, united leadership.
“I encourage all councillors and city officials to support Mayor Morero in his mission to uplift our communities and improve the lives of all Johannesburg residents,” Arnolds said.
“I am committed to working closely with Mayor Morero and the entire council to ensure that Johannesburg continues to thrive. Together, we will build a city that is inclusive, forward-thinking, and committed to the well-being of its people.”
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