Morero’s SOCA failed to reflect lived reality of residents: DA

Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero with Mayoral Members of Council after the State of the City Address outside the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary the Virgin on May 21, 2026.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg says the State of the City Address (SOCA) by Mayor Dada Morero does not reflect the lived reality of residents.

DA Caucus Leader Belinda Kayser- Echeozonjoku says the address by Morero failed to focus on key challenges such as infrastructure backlogs, financial strain and service delivery.

Kayser-Echeozonjoku says Morero failed to provide sufficient reassurance that city was not in crisis, with residents still facing risks of electricity and water interruptions.

She adds, “He brushed over the finances of the city and hasn’t really given confidence that really the city is not in crisis you know, so it’s a big challenge for us because he hasn’t talked about the massive infrastructure backlog. He brushed over some of these numbers and he has mentioned outdated numbers, what we are doing at the moment as we actually analysing his speech line by line.”

GREATER POLITICAL STABILITY

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) councillor and Human Settlements MMC Mlungisi Mabaso says the city has experienced greater political stability since 2024, creating an opportunity for the administration to focus on service delivery and implementation.

Reacting to the SOCA, Mabaso welcomed commitments around infrastructure development and housing delivery but raised concerns about the continued lack of maintenance on existing infrastructure across Johannesburg.

He says many strategies announced by the municipality have previously failed to translate into practical action, adding that infrastructure maintenance remains one of the biggest challenges affecting service delivery.

Mabaso also welcomed Morero’s plans around hostel redevelopment and housing provision.

He says, “He spoke a lot about the provision of houses which is going to help to deal with informalities in Johannesburg because majority of our people in the informal settlements still require us to provide them with decent housing.”

Mabaso adds, “He also spoke about redevelopment of hostels, there’s quite a-lot of work to be done around that we will be introducing a program manager that will talk to the redevelopment of hostels in the city of Johannesburg.”