Just one day after delivering what may be his final State of the City Address as Johannesburg mayor, Dada Morero joins us at a time when many residents are asking a simple but urgent question — is the city truly recovering, or are leaders painting over a deepening crisis?
In an address delivered at the historic Cathedral of St Mary the Virgin in the newly renamed Archbishop Desmond Tutu Precinct, Mayor Morero struck an optimistic tone. He spoke of Johannesburg as “Africa’s richest city,” highlighted migration figures suggesting more people are choosing Joburg over Cape Town, and defended his administration’s record on jobs, infrastructure and economic resilience. But outside the hall, many residents are still grappling with collapsing infrastructure, failing service delivery, water shortages, potholes, power outages, hijacked
buildings, and growing frustration over the city’s governance. All of this while Johannesburg faces a
looming R5.2 billion Eskom debt threat that could have devastating implications for the metro.
And then there were the political undertones — with Morero taking swipes at Cape Town and the DA, while Helen Zille sat in the audience to a chorus of boos. Was this a farewell speech focused on legacy building, or an attempt to shape the political narrative ahead of local government elections? Tonight, we speak directly to Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero about his legacy, the criticism surrounding his administration, and whether the city he says is “on the rise” is the same Johannesburg residents experience every day.