City of Joburg mayor Dada Morero insists ‘Bomb Squad' appointment is not a sign of weakness

IOL News

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Joburg mayor Dada Morero has denied that appointing the 'Bomb Squad' to tackle challenges across the city would show that he's failing to address those problems on his own.
Image: IOL Graphic
City of Joburg Mayor Dada Morero has denied that appointing the 'Bomb Squad', a team comprising ANC- and EFF-linked members, former city managers, and executives, indicates weakness or a failure to address the city's ongoing challenges.
Earlier, IOL News reported that the team was officially announced on Thursday during a media briefing at the Soweto Hotel in Kliptown.
Morero said the team will focus on addressing 'crime and grime,' lawlessness, service delivery bottlenecks, and fast-tracking municipal turnaround efforts.
He insisted the initiative does not reflect an inability on his part to govern effectively, and blamed the city's decline on previous administrations.
'It's not a thing that is acknowledged in the decline that has happened in the city since 2016, and now we want to arrest and change this,' Morero said.
'In general, the city has resources out there.'
Herman Mashaba, the leader of ActionSA, led the administration in 2016.
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The metro faces multiple challenges, including hijacked buildings, chronic water shortages, rolling blackouts, pothole-riddled roads, broken traffic signals, rampant crime, and municipal corruption.
Residents have repeatedly voiced concerns about the city's inability to resolve these issues.
Morero first introduced the Bomb Squad during his State of the City Address (SOCA) in May.
The team is led by ANC Veterans League president Dr. Snuki Zikalala and includes several figures, such as former city managers Blake Mosley-Lefatole, Mavela Dlamini, and Professor Trevor Fowler.
Also joining are Gerald Dumas, a former chief operations officer, and Reggie Boqo, the city's former group chief financial officer.
Philisiwe Twala-Tau will represent the South African Local Government Association, focusing on governance. Vicky Shuping, an advisor to the mayor, will coordinate service delivery and urban management.
Meanwhile, Busani Ngwani, of the National School of Government and the Group Performance Audit Committee, will work on improving governance.
The team also includes Dr. Kwezi Mabasa of the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, and EFF senior researcher Dr. Gumani Tshimomola, both of whom will contribute to economic development planning.
Audrey Mothupi, CEO of Systemic Logic Group, will handle private sector partnerships.
Morero said most of the members are volunteering their services and are already employed within Johannesburg or other municipalities.
Only Zikalala will receive a salary, he said.
'You are saying we volunteer our money, our time, resources, and expertise to help you turn around,' Morero said.
'We have acknowledged that we've had a stubborn environment in changing our financial status.'
He said the city needs at least three financial experts to help turn around its finances, addressing issues such as overspending and budget inefficiencies.
'That is why we believe this team will give the necessary support to the current executives who do accept that, yes, there are inefficiencies,' he told the media.
'I also had a meeting with the executives to introduce the Bomb Squad, which was widely received.'
Morero said the mayoral committee supports the initiative and has even proposed additional names.
'They've made other recommendations with the collective ownership of the mayoral committee. It's not a duplication, it's a support mechanism where there are gaps and weaknesses,' he said.
He added that while there is no timeline for the 'Bomb Squad,' they hope to see major progress within the next year.
He said he aims to leave a financial surplus of R5 billion by June 2026.
'We want to grow the economy of the city by another 1% to 3% in the next five years,' Morero said.
'It requires that those focusing on economic growth help us implement policies to achieve that goal.'
He emphasised that the team's mandate is to support, not replace existing city departments and enhance service delivery.
'These are individuals who are not employed by the city but are volunteering to give support and share their expertise,' Morero said.
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