Under pressure: Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero: Photo: City of Johannesburg
Johannesburg mayor and ANC regional chairperson Dada Morero is facing growing uncertainty over his political future, as the city’s most influential branches prepare to cast decisive votes ahead of the party’s much-anticipated regional conference.
Early internal surveys have suggested a dip in Morero’s support in some parts of the region and the party’s top provincial leadership, although several senior branch leaders who support him have rejected the polls as “premature”.
Most of the city’s biggest ANC branches, including those in Soweto, Region D and key inner-city wards, have yet to sit and nominate their preferred candidates for regional leadership roles. Insiders say the outcome of those meetings will ultimately determine whether Morero retains control over the region or cedes ground to rising rival Loyiso Masuku, who enjoys the support of provincial and national leaders.
Despite the unfolding leadership contest, Morero appointed Masuku as the City of Johannesburg’s member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for finance this week, entrusting her with one of the most powerful portfolios in the metro.
Morero had been holding on to the position, hoping to hand it to one of his allies.
But after a Tuesday night meeting with Johannesburg regional office bearers and the party’s provincial upper structure including provincial co-conveners Amos Masondo and Panyaza Lesufi, along with provincial coordinator Hope Papo and Tasneem Motara, Morero was forced to place Masuku into the position as part of a plan to stabilise the metro’s messy finances.
Masuku has been gaining traction in recent weeks, with insiders saying that she was consolidating support in branches previously loyal to Morero. She is widely expected to challenge for the position of Johannesburg regional chair.
Her emergence has some of her backers viewing her as a viable candidate to lead the ANC’s campaign in Johannesburg during the 2026 local government elections and to challenge the Democratic Alliance’s Helen Zille (if chosen as the party’s candidate for the position) in a high-stakes battle for control of the city.
Zille confirmed in June that she had managed to apply for the position of Johannesburg mayor, telling the Mail & Guardian that she was confident her application would be supported by internal structures who have canvassed her to enter the race.
Contest: ANC deputy regional secretary Loyiso Masuku: Photo: City of Johannesburg.
The leadership contest comes at a critical time for Morero, whose own tenure as Johannesburg mayor and regional ANC chair has been marred by service delivery failures, governance issues and an increasingly fragile coalition in the metro council.
Some branch members have attributed his weakening support to what they describe as administrative missteps since taking office, including his contentious proposal to recruit foreign nationals into the metro police service. Others accuse him of favouring loyalists over capable leaders, leading to friction within the organisation.
Compounding the pressure are growing tensions in the city’s coalition government which is set to meet next week to discuss its future after Morero’s failure to meet their demands to place Thapelo Amad in the finance position. This was part of the agreement between the parties to have the smaller parties be given the portfolio in return to the ANC keeping mayoral post.
The political parties threatened to withdraw their support in a letter to Morero this week, should he fail to deliver their demands. But ANC spokesperson in the region Sasabona Manganye said the party had fulfilled its promise by placing Margaret Arnolds of the African Independent Congress as council speaker.
Morero’s critics have accused him of failing to assert leadership in the coalition and of tolerating politically motivated appointments that have paralysed administration. His allies, however, argue that he has held the line under immense pressure and deserves credit for keeping the ANC in power in one of the country’s most contested metros.
“The numbers being quoted are incomplete and misleading,” a senior branch coordinator in Soweto said this week. “The real picture will only emerge once Soweto and the rest of the biggest branches have met. Most of them have not convened yet.”
Another source from the Johannesburg Central zone insisted that the anti-Morero sentiment is being amplified by a factional campaign. “There is a deliberate narrative being pushed. It’s not reflective of branch-level support.”
Despite the factional headwinds, Morero has retained the backing of several youth and women’s league structures. Supporters say he remains a critical figure in the ANC’s broader strategy to stabilise Johannesburg and lead the region for the 2026 provincial and national elections.
“We are behind him because he remains the strongest candidate in the region, he is a strong leader and knows how to command respect and probably more famous in the region which can work for the party during elections,” one of his supporters said.
Morero has consistently called for unity and discipline as the ANC attempts to recover ground lost during previous elections.
“Our focus must be on rebuilding the ANC in Johannesburg and across the province,” he said at a regional gathering last month. “We cannot afford to lose momentum.”
Masuku has reportedly consolidated a strong coalition of her own. Her campaign has emphasised generational renewal, stronger inter-regional coordination and reasserting the ANC’s control in the city’s most contested wards. Her supporters describe her as a disciplined and experienced organiser with a clean track record and growing appeal among younger ANC members.
Beyond the chairperson race, the contest for other top positions has also begun to take shape. Incumbent secretary Manganye is said to be leading with the nominations, while the race for deputy chair remains more divided, with Masilo Serekele emerging as a front-runner.
Once the branch nominations are complete, the final list of provincial leadership candidates will be vetted and confirmed by the ANC’s electoral commission.
The provincial conference is scheduled for either September or October, although a final date is yet to be announced.
Asked for comment by the M&G this week, Morero said his office would respond in a media statement.