As the first year of the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group’s work draws near, Ramaphosa told ANC NEC members that the city is still failing.
Nearly a year after President Cyril Ramaphosa met with the City of Johannesburg Council and stakeholders to share his concerns about the city, he is still frustrated by its governance.
In his March 2025 meeting, the president spoke candidly about deteriorating services and infrastructure. He also launched the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group to focus on strengthening governance and financial sustainability, improving service delivery, water and sanitation, and electricity, rejuvenating inner-city hubs and townships, and revitalising cultural and heritage institutions, and safety, law enforcement and urban security.
As the first year of this working group’s work draws near, Ramaphosa told ANC NEC members that the city is still failing.
“There has been slower-than-expected progress in the city of Johannesburg, where officials and stakeholders must improve and accelerate their co-operation to make meaningful progress in addressing citizens’ concerns”
He said local ANC leaders and members must focus on governance ahead of the local government elections later this year.
“The progress we make must be seen and felt by South Africans. There is a gap, and we need to do more.
“You either do what you are meant to do, or you move out, so that others can do the task. It is simple,” he later added.
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A city on autopilot
Ramaphosa’s comments come days after The Citizen lifted the lid on the Cold War between Executive Mayor Dada Morero and City Manager Floyd Brink.
A source told us that tensions between the two are so bad that the mayor allegedly tried to block Brink’s appointment as City Manager last year. The ANC’s national leadership had to step in to mediate.
“They are not working together. They are both doing their separate things, and Dada has admitted that he cannot stand the man,” said the source.
The source said the relationship was so sour that it would certainly affect their ability to deliver services to Joburg’s residents.
Morero recently lost his position as chairperson of the ANC in Johannesburg to Loyiso Masuku.
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‘Officials have dropped the ball’
Morero has admitted that Johannesburg has slipped back into a dirty and broken state following cleanups ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit.
Responding to a social media user’s video of a filthy city centre, Morero said “officials have dropped the ball”.
“I said this in December, but we are not folding. The inner city is a priority,” said Morero.
He had promised in the days before the summit that the cleanup was not to impress world leaders but would continue after the event.
“It cannot be that we just fold our arms and not address the basics, which is addressing traffic signals, which need to be working in any case, and showing that the freeways are working properly.
“It is important to create an environment that we will be proud of, and that says we are changing course and we’re making Johannesburg great again.
“We’ll go beyond the summit with programs already implemented and scheduled for December and January. Our pipe replacement Programme goes beyond the G20. What you are doing currently in the inner city of Johannesburg will go beyond the G20. So, we are focused.””
Additional reporting by Itumeleng Mafisa
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