JOHANNESBURG (Azat TV) – The African National Congress (ANC) in Johannesburg has initiated the formal recall of Mayor Dada Morero, a move that threatens the stability of the city’s governance and highlights a widening schism within the party’s local leadership. The decision was confirmed following an urgent special regional executive committee (REC) meeting held on Saturday, where officials resolved that Morero’s tenure as mayor had become untenable.
Internal ANC Power Struggles Intensify
The recall comes amid a bitter internal dispute regarding the legitimacy of the ANC’s regional conference held last December. Sources within the party indicate that the REC’s decision was heavily influenced by ongoing legal challenges surrounding the election results, in which Morero lost his chairmanship to Loyiso Masuku. The regional leadership has accused Morero of orchestrating a court challenge to the conference outcomes through his special advisor, Stanley Itshegetseng.
“The relationship is irreconcilable as the state is used to undermine the elected leadership,” a senior ANC regional leader stated. The party hierarchy has expressed significant frustration over what they describe as “parallel programmes” allegedly initiated by Morero, which they claim are designed to weaken the cohesion of the regional executive ahead of upcoming elections.
Impact on Johannesburg Governance
The political instability in South Africa’s economic hub is further compounded by broader governance concerns. While the ANC navigates its internal crisis, the city remains under pressure to address service delivery and administrative integrity. Morero had previously lodged formal complaints with national ANC leadership, including Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula, regarding the conduct of the electoral agency during the regional conference. Mbalula had earlier acknowledged prima facie evidence of misconduct, noting that the matter had been referred to the South African Police Service following the discovery of disputed ballot boxes.
Stakes for ANC Local Coalitions
The removal of a sitting mayor in such a strategic metropolitan area poses significant risks to the ANC’s coalition arrangements. With the party struggling to present a unified front, the move to recall Morero signals a shift toward aggressive internal house-cleaning, even at the cost of administrative continuity. As the regional officials prepare to notify provincial and national leadership of their resolution, the focus remains on whether the party can mitigate the fallout of this leadership vacuum before it impacts the city’s broader political landscape.
The abrupt recall of Morero underscores the high cost of internal factionalism within the ANC, as the party appears to be prioritizing the consolidation of regional power over the stability of governance in South Africa’s most critical economic center.