Latest news with #DadaMorero
The Citizen
2 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Ceiling paint and touch ups are underway at the Johannesburg City Library
Ceiling paint and touch ups are underway at the Johannesburg City Library As part of the ongoing phase two restoration at the Johannesburg City Library, ceiling paint work is underway. These careful touch-ups are not only about a fresh coat; they're about reviving the beauty and dignity of the historic space… One brushstroke at a time. Also read: Johannesburg Development Agency CEO inspects library Johannesburg Development Agency CEO Themba Mathibe, on July 11, conducted an oversight visit to inspect work undertaken on the extractor fans in the third-floor basement and gas fire suppression. Executive Mayor of the City of Johannesburg Dada Morero, on the reopening of the Johannesburg City Library on March 21, confirmed that the second part of the library would be open to the public on August 30. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
16-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Now we wait for accountability, Mr Mayor
In a country where politicians and top policemen get away with murder and grand corruption, accountability is a chimera. Joburg mayor Dada Morero with members of the mayoral committee and officials from the Johannesburg Roads Agency at Hyde Park in Johannesburg on 10 July 2025, during the launch of the War on Potholes campaign in Ward 90. Picture: Nigel Sibanda A month after Joburg mayor Dada Morero said there were no potholes in ward 90, he arrived in Hyde Park on Thursday with hundreds of workers, fleets of trucks and tons of pothole-fixing equipment. This time he said there were 1 149 potholes in the ward. As Ward 90 councillor, I earlier mocked his 'no potholes' assertion but would not have done so at Thursday's briefing, had I been given the opportunity. Hosts should not insult guests. I was invited to sit at the table with the mayor for his media address. Before sitting, I offered him a welcoming hand and asked (off-mic) if he was sure he wanted me there, as there was a crush of seemingly eminent persons eyeing the seats. 'Yes,' he said, 'I want you to hold us to account.' His short address ended similarly, 'residents can hold us to account'. Some surprise then, when my request to address the gathering was turned down by his colleagues on the grounds that 'the mayor speaks for all of us'. What kind of accountability is that, when the only directly elected public representative of the ward 90 community is not allowed to use a publicly funded microphone at a publicly funded event where accountability is promoted? ALSO READ: WATCH: Joburg mayor sets out to fix potholes Ward councillors are the only directly elected public representatives in South Africa. In Johannesburg, half of the 270 councillors are ward councillors. The other 135 are PR councillors, drawn from party lists. Mayor Morero (ANC) and Transport MMC Kenny Kunene (Patriotic Alliance) are PR councillors. They are accountable firstly to their political parties. They were not directly elected by residents. How can we hold the mayor to account? When people use the word accountability, they usually don't have a clue what they are talking about. It's vaguely comforting to talk about accountability but in a country where politicians and top policemen get away with murder and grand corruption, accountability is a chimera. In his address, Morero said that by the end of August there would be 'no potholes here'. He also said all stormwater drains would be cleared. Streetlights and traffic signals would be working. These are significant undertakings and it was not always clear whether he was talking about ward 90 or all 12 wards in Region B. ALSO READ: Joburg's housing backlog needs R60bn and less red tape – Morero In the list distributed during his visit, there was considerable jumbling of wards and suburbs. In order to hold the mayor and the Joburg Roads Agency accountable, it will be best to have clear, consolidated lists, which do not exist. For proper tracking and accountability, the city should invest in technology which can detect and relay information on the exact positioning and dimensions of potholes. This equipment could be fitted to wide-roaming vehicles such as Pikitup trucks and we could have updated records. There's no chance such a set-up will be in place by the end of August, so we'll have to do our best using older methods. Mayor Morero is hereby invited to a public meeting in early September, (venue to be confirmed) to report back on the Region B 'War on potholes'. I'll bring my own public address system. We know Morero's counting has improved since last month. Now for accountability. NOW READ: Joburg mayor Dada Morero survives motion of no confidence
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Joburg's housing backlog needs R60bn and less red tape
Mayor commits to cutting bureaucracy as private sector urges action on service delivery and rising costs. Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero delivered the keynote address at the 2025 Reside Summit. Picture: Supplied Johannesburg faces a housing backlog of more than 300 000 units. The city's approved housing budget for 2025/26 is R8.9 billion – far short of what is needed. According to mayor Dada Morero, at least R60 billion is required to make a meaningful dent in the shortfall. Speaking at the third annual Reside Summit, which opened on 9 July in Sandton, Morero acknowledged the city's failure to act swiftly on housing delivery and called for urgent partnerships to accelerate development. Delivering the keynote address at the Sandton Convention Centre, Morero pledged to reduce red tape to encourage private sector investment, admitting that the city's approach has been insufficient. 'We have made bold statements on housing interventions, but we have also acknowledged that we have been slow, fragmented, and overly bureaucratic,' he said. 'This summit is a critical platform to reset our approach and build the partnerships needed to deliver homes faster.' To attract investment and drive what he describes as a 'housing revolution,' Morero said the city is committed to streamlining its approval processes. This, he believes, will allow developers to proceed more efficiently with housing projects that could help close the housing gap. ALSO READ: Gauteng's housing crisis: 150 years to clear the backlog Developers welcome initiative but raise concerns Private sector representatives at the summit welcomed the mayor's commitment to cutting through bureaucracy. However, they flagged unresolved challenges that continue to hold back development. Rob Wesselo, group managing director of International Housing Solutions, and Paul Jackson, co-founder of the Trust for Urban Housing Finance (TUHF), noted that consistent access to services such as water, electricity and sewage is critical. They warn that unreliable service delivery poses a major threat to investor confidence and long-term project viability. They also raised concerns about the financial pressures developers face. Johannesburg's property tax rates have reportedly increased by over 45% since 2010. Utility charges on rental units often amount to R2 000 a month for a R4 000 rental property. These rising costs continue to squeeze both landlords and tenants, making affordable housing harder to achieve. ALSO READ: Joburg plans to ease housing crisis with mega projects and acquisitions Economic outlook adds pressure Providing broader economic context, Investec chief economist Annabel Bishop predicts GDP growth of just 0.9% for 2025. Inflation is expected to ease to around 3.5%, but she cautioned that interest rate cuts would be gradual, meaning borrowing will remain expensive for longer. While moderating inflation offers some relief for input costs, slow economic growth and high borrowing costs could limit developers' ability to finance large-scale housing developments. ALSO READ: Joburg housing MMC says Fleurhof residents unhappy over housing are 'disgruntled' A platform for progress Debbie Tagg, chair of the Reside Summit, said the event aims to move beyond discussion and drive real action. 'This summit is more than a conversation, it's a catalyst. Solving South Africa's housing crisis demands shared expertise, shared risk, and shared opportunity – it's the only path to scale, sustainability, and speed. 'We appreciate every leader, partner and practitioner, and the many engaged and interested delegates, who have showed up with purpose and made the Reside Summit a true platform for progress.' This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
Eyewitness News
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- Eyewitness News
Morero estimates it will cost around R700m to fix all potholes in Joburg
JOHANNESBURG - Dada Morero, the mayor of Johannesburg, estimates that it will cost the city around R700 million to fix all potholes. Morero revealed this during the war on potholes campaign launch in Hyde Park, Johannesburg on Thursday. The Johannesburg Roads Agency has begun its high-impact work to repair damaged roads in the northern suburbs. READ: Morero vows to close all potholes in some of Joburg's northern suburbs by end August Morero said that the city was committed to resolving the pothole issue across the metro. He said that the project would make its way to the rest of the city. "So what we have done, we said we are targeting Region B and Region E. We are starting in this ward, which is ward 90, and of course neighbouring wards. Our commitment is that at least in ward 90, which is where we are, by mid-August, end-August, we should have done all the potholes."
The Citizen
10-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Potholes Get Attention in Johannesburg's Ward 90
Mayor Morero launches war on potholes. Joburg mayor Dada Morero with members of the mayoral committe and the officials from the Johannesburg Roads Agency at Hyde Park in Johannesburg, 10 July 2025, during the launch of the War on Potholes campaign at Ward 90. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/ The Citizen Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has launched 'war on potholes' at Ward 90. This campaign is set to deliver on the mayor's commitment from the State of the City Address to prioritise road infrastructure, enhance mobility and restore service delivery. Mayor preaches 'high impact service delivery' Marking a year in office, the mayor admits to cracks under his leadership. When speaking to The Citizen, Morero emphasised, 'my argument has always been planning and management issues which were weaknesses we are correcting. That is why you can see that it's possible, this thing can be done so we are doing it. We have corrected management and supervision weaknesses, and we believe with motivated staff and leadership, we will these results that we want.' The campaign is set to tackle Ward 90's potholes and more by the end of August. It will then be followed assessed to further fix what might have been missed during the operation. 'By the time we leave here, month-end of August, there will be no potholes here. That is the commitment we are making, we would have cleared all potholes and storm water blockages that are there. We would have also dealt with streetlights and traffic signals.' Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero levelling tar to close a pothole. Video: Molemo Tladi ALSO READ: DA's motion against mayor a self-serving tactic Martin William, ward counsellor of Ward 90 expressed, 'this arose because less than a month ago the mayor said at a press conference that there were no potholes in ward 90, I disputed that. I gave him a new list this morning.' With the mayor and members of the mayoral committee walking to the first two areas to be tackled in what seemed to be a media frenzy, the counsellor said, 'We're very pleased that the mayor is here with all these people and that the ward is getting all this attention. The proof of the pudding will come later; we'll have to do another check.' Money to be spent When commenting on the amount of money to be allocated to this campaign, Morero said, 'We are looking at considerable amounts probably in the ranges of R300 [million] to R700 million, there's also money for resurfacing. So we will spend, the idea also is about spending and ensure that we have spent. The whole idea is that we must respond, there's no excuse, we must respond to infrastructure challenges.' Morero confirmed that no new employees were recruited for the campaign.
