Morero weathers storm: Online petition to recall Joburg mayor dies

While an online petition to have the mayor of Joburg recalled gained much popularity when it burst onto the scene, it is all but dead two weeks later.

The petition was shared far and wide on 26 August, trending on social media for a while to gain 10 000 signatures by its second day.

But the flame that burned bright was snuffed out quickly and in the days that followed momentum slowed to a crawl. As of 10 September, there were just 15 456 signatures – a sizeable figure but a meagre one when compared to the more than 5 million registered residents in the city and the ease of access of the change.org petition.

Joburg mayor weathers the storm

Joburg Mayor Dada Morero had been embattled with naysayers and controversy at the time of the petition’s launch.

In a video leaked by purported political rivals, the mayor said that foreigners should be hired by the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) to assist law enforcement because they can speak foreign African languages.

This drew widespread criticism before Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi shot the idea down and Morero apologised for his comments.

The petition also highlighted the delays in repairing Lilian Ngoyi Street (formerly Bree Street) and the contract has since been terminated.

Criticism was also made of Morero’s apparent lack of accountability and response to hijacked buildings, in the petition.

ALSO READ: Joburg Mayor Dada Morero must be on tight leash

Joburg mayor responds to hijacked buildings

On the one-year anniversary of the Usindiso building fire, the Joburg mayor admitted that gaining control of the metro’s hijacked buildings is proving to be more difficult than anticipated.

The Usindiso Commission of Inquiry report found the City of Joburg responsible for the fire and the deaths of 77 people.

Morero said he will meet with the city’s officials to discuss the report on Usindiso and what the city’s response will be.

“It is also important to note that the challenges of the inner city are much bigger than we thought. And in fact, we require as many partnerships as possible, including provincial government. So, there are other options we are now looking at,” he said.

Revitalising precincts in the city, reopening a train station

Morero also cut the ribbon, so to speak, on a revitalised Ellis Park Precinct ahead of the second Springboks and All Blacks Test match at the end of August.

Addressing the media, the mayor identified how infrastructure and facilities had been repaired, cleaned and returned to working order over the past few months.

Facilities at the stadium itself, Emirates Airline Park, had also been upgraded.

The event included the reopening of Ellis Park Station for the first time since it was closed in the 1980s.

Last week, the mayor also launched the accelerated service delivery programme in Soweto.

Attending the event alongside Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, the Joburg Mayor said the programme focused on repairing potholes, fixing streetlights, and implementing various other improvement initiatives.