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Johannesburg mayor gives no timeline for fixing potholes and streetlights

Published

Mayor Dada Morero said a proper assessment must come first, even though the ANC manifesto promises to prioritise services within 100 days of taking office. He spoke in an interview ahead of the local government elections.

Morero said the ANC's first 100 days would be used to identify and prioritise key interventions, set up systems and secure resources. He said municipalities must wait for the budget adjustment process, expected in January, to realign spending.

The city's figures show that about 1,900 of approximately 4,000 potholes are resolved. Four routes have been resurfaced. Morero said ongoing vandalism makes it hard to restore and maintain streetlights.

Morero said bringing contracted work back in-house could help with capacity challenges. Contracted services cost the municipality almost R700 million a year, and the city plans to cut them by about 60%.

The ANC manifesto also promises to fill critical management, chief financial officer and senior management posts within 120 days.

Key facts

Who
Dada Morero (Johannesburg Mayor); African National Congress (governing party whose manifesto commits to 100-day service delivery priorities)
What
Morero told 702 he could not give a timeline for fixing Johannesburg's potholes and streetlights, while the ANC manifesto promises to prioritise services within 100 days of taking office.
When
27 October 2026
Where
Johannesburg
Status
Reported

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