The City of Johannesburg is set to appoint ANC regional chair and member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for finance Loyiso Masuku as deputy mayor at Thursday’s council sitting. (X)
The City of Johannesburg is set to appoint ANC regional chair and member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for finance Loyiso Masuku as deputy mayor at Thursday’s council sitting. This is if mayor Dada Morero survives a motion of no confidence brought against him by his coalition partner, the Al Jama-ah party.
The political management council (PMC) is set to meet on Tuesday evening to discuss a possible withdrawal of the motion, sources told the Mail & Guardian. The PMC is a body formed by the ruling coalition to resolve disputes arising from council.
Should it resolve to withdraw the motion against Morero, a recommendation that the city appoint a new deputy mayor, which was brought in December and approved by Morero, will be tabled in council, the sources said.
The deputy mayor’s functions will be identical to those in the Tshwane municipality, where ANC regional chair Bonzo Modise is technically the MMC for finance but also holds the title of deputy mayor.
An insider said the agreement to make Masuku a deputy mayor had been reached by the ANC in December last year.
“It’s not a new thing, The ANC resolved in December to create this post and make the current [ANC Johannesburg regional] chair a deputy mayor,” they said.
A proposal to council, which is dated 29 January 2026 and has been seen by the M&G, seeks approval for the establishment and election of an executive deputy mayor, in accordance with applicable legislative provisions, in order to strengthen executive leadership, ensure continuity of governance and enhance service delivery.
The report notes that in 2023, the Johannesburg council speaker received correspondence from the Gauteng MEC for cooperative governance and traditional affairs and infrastructure development, proposing that the city consider electing an executive deputy mayor in line with the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act.
The report said the establishment of the position of executive deputy mayor would have cost implications on remuneration and benefits, in accordance with the upper limits determined by the minister for cooperative governance and traditional affairs.
“The annual remuneration for a full-time councillor serving as executive deputy mayor is estimated at R1 280 117 per annum, in line with the government gazette on the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act, 1998, issued on 21 October 2024, including applicable adjustments. These costs will be accommodated within the approved 2025/26 financial year budget,” the report states.
The report said that in light of the increasing complexity of governance and service delivery demands in Johannesburg, it had become necessary to revisit the MEC’s proposal and consider the election of an executive deputy mayor to provide additional executive support to the mayor.
The absence of a formally established executive deputy mayor position presented governance and operational risks, particularly during periods when the executive mayor was absent or unavailable, it added.
“The executive deputy mayor will ensure uninterrupted executive authority in instances where the executive mayor is absent, unavailable or when the office of the executive mayor becomes vacant,” it said.
“The position will assist in sharing the executive workload, improving coordination of municipal programmes and strengthening political oversight of the administration. Through delegated responsibilities, the executive deputy mayor will support the monitoring of service delivery projects, accelerate decision-making and enhance responsiveness to community needs.”
Johannesburg city spokesperson Nthatise Modingoane had not responded to the M&G’s request for comment at the time of publication.