Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has denied allegations of wanting to spend the City's limited budget on infrastructure projects that look good ahead of the elections to 'control the political narrative'. According to a recording of a 53-minute mayoral committee meeting on 17 September, obtained by Daily Maverick, Morero is heard telling political leaders that "we are 50 days away to an election" before outlining projects he wanted completed by late October.
Morero and his coalition are seeking to use municipal funds to push unfinished projects over the line ahead of the 4 November local government elections, backed by an expected R3-billion short-term Standard Bank loan facility. The mayor has proposed that members of the mayoral committee (MMCs) meet without top City bosses to decide which unfinished projects should be prioritised. This discussion has raised serious questions about electoral political interests steering the allocation of scarce municipal funds.
The recording shows the meeting touched on recurring delays in paying suppliers within 30 days, a point previously highlighted by the Auditor-General. Morero said the issue was serious and might require "a very different approach". He proposed identifying projects needing immediate completion, securing their funding, and delaying newer initiatives. He listed the social development, health and Johannesburg Development Agency projects in the Deep South, Ivory Park, and Soweto.
Morero instructed MMC for development planning Eunice Mgcina and MMC for health and social development Ennie Makhafola to identify outstanding projects needing small capital injections before October's end. He added: "Let's have that political leadership meeting. Just ourselves." Morero warned that political leaders would soon be unavailable as campaigning intensified. He also complained that political leaders continued to make recommendations which the administration then chose to undermine.
A senior municipal insider noted that while accelerating service delivery before an election was normal, setting spending priorities according to electoral visibility was problematic. The concern arises when the approaching end of a political term becomes a factor in deciding which projects receive scarce cash, particularly if projects are selected because they can be completed or publicly showcased before an election.
Morero's spokesperson, Khathutshelo Mulaudzi, denied that politicians were taking over operational financial decisions. She said the meeting provided political guidance on sequencing budgeted projects during the weekly finance war room. Mulaudzi asserted that meeting "without officials" was meant to let political leadership align on priorities before engaging with the administration, emphasising that "no financial decision is taken at a political meeting".
The proposed spending has raised concerns about the appropriateness of political discussions taking place separately from the municipal administration. The municipal insider warned that political leaders could not displace the statutory financial roles of the municipal manager and CFO. The City's cash position and the proposed "spending or a cash meeting" for MMCs alone have also raised concerns about the potential misuse of municipal funds.
Key points
- Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero faces allegations of planning to spend municipal funds on visible projects ahead of local government elections.
- Morero has denied allegations of wanting to spend the City's limited budget on infrastructure projects that look good ahead of the elections to 'control the political narrative'.
- The proposed spending has raised concerns about the appropriateness of political discussions taking place separately from the municipal administration.
