Johannesburg – Loyiso Masuku has taken charge of the African National Congress Johannesburg region after defeating outgoing chairperson and current City of Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero during the party’s sixteenth regional conference held in Sandton.
The regional vote was concluded on Friday at Cedar Woods Hotel, where Masuku secured 184 votes against Morero’s 149, making her the first woman to lead the ANC in Johannesburg. The conference, which began on Thursday, attracted national and provincial attention as the party continues restructuring efforts ahead of the 2026 local government elections. The developments were followed closely by political observers in Eswatini, where events in South Africa often influence regional political interests and economic links.
Several new leaders were elected alongside Masuku. Masilo Serekele won the deputy chairperson position with 188 votes, defeating Eunice Mgina who received 143. Sasabona Manganye was elected regional secretary with 205 votes, while Lebogang Shabalala secured 128. The deputy secretary position went to Lerato Bob with 187 votes against Mnisi Nomoya’s 157. Maxwell Nedzamba became the new treasurer with 233 votes, beating Muzi Nkosi who received 98.
The leadership renewal follows a restructuring process introduced earlier this year by the ANC National Executive Committee to improve the party’s organisational strength, reconnect with communities and stabilise its internal systems. The NEC said it wanted experienced leaders and long-serving members integrated into provincial and regional structures as part of its broader renewal plan.
Before voting began, Morero reflected on his tenure as chairperson, telling delegates that Johannesburg’s financial strain had deepened due to past administrative failures. He blamed the previous DA-led coalition government for declining revenue collection, rising debt levels and unauthorised expenditure, arguing that these issues continued to affect the city’s recovery. Morero has served as mayor since August 2022 and previously managed the city’s finances as the member of the mayoral committee for finance.
He described Johannesburg’s problems as structural and financial, pointing to delays in infrastructure projects, service delivery backlogs and underfunded mandates. He said weak oversight and poor governance frameworks had contributed to operational inefficiencies across departments. Morero warned delegates that addressing the city’s challenges required leaders who could handle complex tasks, insisting that the conference needed to elect individuals capable of delivering improvements.
Johannesburg continues to struggle with persistent issues such as hijacked buildings, unreliable water supply, electricity disruptions, deteriorating road networks, illegal dumping, malfunctioning traffic lights, escalating crime and widespread municipal corruption. These concerns are regularly monitored in Eswatini, where many citizens travel to Johannesburg for business, healthcare and family visits.
The ANC must now decide whether Morero will remain mayor for the rest of the term, which ends in November 2026, despite losing the regional leadership position to Masuku.
Discussion about this post