07-05-2025
'Drastic times call for drastic measures': Johannesburg Mayor unveils turnaround plan
City of Joburg Mayor Dade Morero has promised, during his state of the city address, to revamp the city after President Cyril Ramaphosa voiced disappointment over its state.
Image: Kamogelo Moichela/IOL
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has unveiled a turnaround plan aimed at revitalising the city's economy, improving service delivery, and ensuring financial sustainability.
The plan, which was presented during the State of the City Address (Soca) on Wednesday, seeks to address the city's challenges through a series of drastic measures.
Morero has been under fire in recent months after opposition parties demanded answers for the state of the Johannesburg city center, that has become a shadow of itself with high crime and a state of decay.
It has been nearly two years since a gas explosion tore down Bree Street, now known as Lilian Ngoyi Street, in central Johannesburg but it has yet to be fixed, prompting opposition parties to demand answers as to why the street's rehabilitation has stalled.
The city closed the street after the blast forced some businesses to shut down when the road caved in leaving a series of ditches.
Morero delivered his addressed under a cloud after the DA in Johannesburg, merely hours before the Soca, tabled a motion of no confidence against Morero, and the Speaker of the Johannesburg City Council, Nobuhle Mthembu, asking them to resign after failing the residents of the metro.
However during his Soca, Morero emphasised the need for extreme actions to resolve the city's challenges, saying "drastic times call for drastic measures".
"We must behave in an unusual manner so that we can see and yield different results," he said.
His plan includes several key components, such as economic growth where he aims to achieve an average GDP growth rate of 3% over the next five years through the addition of an economic workstream within the Presidential Support Package.
Morero emphasised the importance of efficient service delivery, citing progress made by the Service Delivery War Room established in March 2025.
He said the war room had led to a decline in service delivery protests and improved collaboration between government departments and state-owned entities.
Morero also said for financial sustainability, the city plans to overhaul its revenue collection approach to improve liquidity. This includes robust revenue collection from large consumers of electricity and water and daily monitoring of cash flow by senior managers, with a target of collecting at least R200 million daily.
Lilian Ngoyi in Johannesburg (formerly Bree Street) was hit by a gas explosion two years ago. Jo'burg mayor Dada Morero, during his state of the city address promised to revamp the street.
Image: File / Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
He also vowed to zoom in on infrastructure development where the metro would invest in infrastructure projects, such as the Northern-Farms Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is expected to generate economic benefits, create jobs and stimulate local businesses.
To ensure the successful implementation of the turnaround plan, Morero announced the establishment of a high-power implementation impact team known as the "Bomb Squad".
This team, led by ANC stalwart Dr Snuki Zikalala, will be responsible for removing constraints that impact the city's ability to create a better Johannesburg.
Morero urged residents to play their part in making Johannesburg a functional, vibrant, livable, and resilient city.
He emphasised the importance of working together to ensure that no one is left behind and encouraged residents to support revenue collection initiatives and comply with city by-laws.
During the presentation of his plan, Morero sent an email to President Ramaphosa that contained his full turnaround plan with loud cheers from the councillors attending the Soca.
Ramaphosa had been critical of the state Johannesburg during his visit earlier this year, saying that it was in a bad state and needed to be prioritised.
This prompted Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi and Morero to apologise to the president.
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