Morero's 2025 was dominated by preparation for the G20 Summit but service delivery challenges were inescapable.
Perceptions of Johannesburg have shifted constantly in 2025, much in keeping with those who lead the municipality’s administration.
The man at the helm of the economic hub of the largest economy in southern Africa has had an eventful year as the city embraced global attention.
However, next will be a greater test for Mayor Dada Morero as he leads the ANC’s campaign in a fierce mayoral battle, assuming he is backed by his party in the intervening months.
Mayor Morero’s 2025
As to be expected for the mayor of a major regional node, Morero has battled critical domestic issues, while juggling the need to elevate the city to international standards.
Here is a rundown of the Morero’s highs and lows of 2025:
Getting Johannesburg ready for G20
Possibly the biggest global event since the opening of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the euphoria and expectation around the G20 were on par.
While President Cyril Ramaphosa and Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi had a significant hand in preparations, Morero will be proud of the city’s effort.
Crucial entities such a City Power kept the lights on, while Pikitup ensured the streets were scrubbed so that Morero could be remembered favourably as a G20 mayor.
He promised the G20 standard would become the new norm, but the proof with only be seen in 2026 as the first small cracks begin to appear in those promises.
City clean-ups
The city’s G20 presentation was built on year-long service delivery operations and inner-city clean-ups, only for the never-ending stream of trash to return in December.
As the year wound down, Morero stated that keeping the inner city clean was a persistent challenge and called for a national intervention.
He blamed foreign traders for creating garbage in the inner-city and vowed to remove unlicensed traders.
“People have left their countries of origin to do as they please in Johannesburg, and we cannot allow this to continue. Johannesburg requires a massive Home Affairs operation,” the mayor stated on Christmas Eve.
Water crisis
Johannesburg’s water crisis began long before Morero took office, but his administration has been saddled with water infrastructure at breaking point.
The issue came to a head in September when parliament gave the Johannesburg municipality two weeks to formulate a plan.
ALSO READ: National water tests show South African rivers are ‘open sewers’
The DA also criticised Morero for an alleged R4 billion fiscal hole at Johannesburg Water (JW), with the mayor explaining that it was an accounting procedure called sweeping.
“The purpose of sweeping is not to remove or hide money but to manage the City’s overall liquidity efficiently,” his office stated in September.
As part of his mandated turnaround strategy, Morero said JW funds would be ring-fenced for prioritising pipeline and reservoir projects, as well as maintenance.
However, the same plans were implemented in 2024, with little results.
Motions of no confidence
Morero faced a motion of no confidence in June, but the DA’s attempt to unseat him was easily defeated, with support from the Patriotic Alliance, EFF and fellow coalition partners.
The DA accused Morero of overseeing crumbling basic services and poor municipal governance.
Another motion was brought against him in November — this time by leaders representing minority members of the coalition — but was withdrawn in early December.
At the last minute, the motion was withdrawn, with sources telling The Citizen that “we agreed that we will solve our problems amicably and not through motions”.
Samwu bullying
In the lead-up to the G20 Summit, Morero’s administration buckled to the demands of the South African Municipal Workers’ Union (Samwu) to avoid disruptions.
The union strong-armed over R10 billion in “salary disparities” to be spread out over three years.
The deal included increases of between R1.2 billion and R2 billion by March 2026, between R5 billion and R6 billion by July 2026, and a further R4.1 billion for workers by July 2027.
ALSO READ: Union celebrates R10bn deal for Johannesburg workers, but city admits no budget exists yet
Samwu stressed that the negotiations were conducted in line with legislation, but Morero’s office was forced to address claims that the required expenditure would be diverted from municipal budgets.
“No such diversion has taken place. The city has not yet budgeted for the agreement reached in principle with Samwu,” stated Morero in November.
Losing ANC Johannesburg seat
The mayor’s last significant event ended the year on a negative note, albeit outside of the Johannesburg municipal sphere.
Morero lost his ANC Johannesburg regional leadership seat to his current MMC of Finance, Loyiso Masuku.
Masuku won the regional election with 184 votes to Morero’s 149 votes in a protracted voting process in Woodmead.
Questions were immediately raised about how the loss would affect Morero’s mayorship, but ANC regional secretary Sasabona Manganye backed the incumbent, for now.
“It is mainly decided by the national office bearers, so currently, we have a serving mayor. We have no issues with the current mayor,” said Manganye in the wake of the vote.
The race for the Johannesburg mayorship will be hotly contested, and time will tell if that stance remains as the campaign intensifies.
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