ANC Moves To Oust Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero Amid Party Power Struggle

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero is reportedly on the verge of being removed from office after senior African National Congress (ANC) leaders in the city resolved to recall him.

The decision is believed to have been taken during a meeting of the ANC Johannesburg regional executive committee on Saturday, following a leadership dispute that has deepened divisions within the party.

Morero has been at the centre of a legal challenge relating to the ANC’s regional leadership election — a contest he lost earlier this year.

ANC Leadership Rift Puts Dada Morero’s Mayoral Position At Risk

According to reports, the ANC’s Johannesburg regional executive committee has resolved to initiate the process of recalling Morero as mayor.

The move is expected to be formally communicated to the party’s provincial and national leadership structures before it can take effect.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Helen Zille’s Joburg Mayoral Campaign Sparks Row After ‘Unauthorised’ Visit To Water Reservoir

The internal tensions intensified after Morero lost the ANC Johannesburg regional leadership contest to Loyiso Masuku in early December. Masuku later became deputy mayor in late February.

Sources within the party say the relationship between the two leaders has become increasingly strained.

One committee member told TimesLive that the situation had reached a breaking point.

“We can’t coexist. If we are to save the ANC and prepare adequately for elections, Dada cannot continue to be allowed to abuse the state to undermine elected leadership and undermine the unity and cohesion of the ANC,” the committee member said.

Court Challenge Deepens ANC Johannesburg Divisions

The dispute escalated further after a court challenge was lodged over the election process.

Complaints about the conference were reportedly submitted by one of Morero’s advisers, a move that angered some members of the regional executive committee.

Party insiders believe the legal action has worsened divisions within the organisation and prompted calls for leadership changes in an effort to restore stability.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: US Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell Sparks Fury After Slamming ‘Kill The Boer’ Chant And B-BBEE

Initially, the regional leadership had indicated that Morero would remain mayor despite losing the internal election.

However, that position now appears to be shifting. “The [committee] is reviewing its decision to keep Dada as mayor because the relationship is irreconcilable as the state is used to undermine the elected leadership,” another source told the publication.

Allegations And Power Tensions Surround ANC Regional Elections

Masuku secured victory in the regional election with 184 votes, while Morero received 149.

Claims of irregularities surfaced even before the voting process concluded.

In the days leading up to the conference, delegates alleged that some members were offered incentives while staying at luxury venues in Sandton.

Sources claimed money was allegedly transported in Checkers packets and chocolate boxes.

Other complaints centred on potential conflicts of interest involving provincial leadership and the organisation appointed to oversee the election process, including questions about how the body was selected.

In January, Gauteng Provincial Task Team coordinator Hope Papo received a letter from ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula requesting that all material relating to the elective conference be handed over.

Despite the tensions, the party’s regional secretary Sasabona Manganye previously expressed confidence that the leadership structure could function without conflict.

“There will not necessarily be two centres of power for as long as our deployees understand that the centre is the ANC,” he said.

Additional reporting by Kwenzekile Ngcobo.