How Johannesburg’s Coalition Government Crisis is Failing Its People

The city's broken pulse

To understand why Johannesburg's mayoral seat has become a revolving door, you need only listen to the voices from its townships. In Soweto's Dube township, Mpotseng Jairus Kgokong, a veteran of the Black Consciousness Movement (BCM), activist, and longtime resident, describes how service failures have worsened under the parade of short-lived leadership.

"Councilors are disconnected. We don't know them," Kgokong tells OkayAfrica. "In December 2023, my area, Dube, had been without power for two months. We requested a meeting with the councilor. She said, 'I will not come to the meeting,' then went on holiday to Durban. Later, she said, 'By the way, in my performance agreement, there is no mention of Eskom. I don't know why you're bothering me about this.' That's disgusting, but I'm not surprised. It means this woman's agreement is only tied to internal HR performance. The Municipal Electoral Act governs her relationship with us. I don't think she knows anything about that."

Electricity in Dube was restored in July 2024, eight months after the outage. "We've had no electricity in some places for over three years. Why? Why are some areas without water for weeks? People like me can afford alternatives. Others can't. And if they have to pay for these alternatives while still being charged by the city, it's not sustainable. The City Council has been far too slow to fix things."

This disconnect between leadership and lived reality plays out across the city's neglected neighborhoods. Entrepreneur Masechaba Nonyana, owner of Native Rebels restaurant and live music venue in Soweto, echoed similar concerns following fresh protests in Meadowlands over service delivery.

"I don't know how the people of Soweto are going to react to these electricity hikes. I'm lucky. I've got alternatives — candles, fire, solar, and gas. But most people don't. Just last week, people were protesting in Meadowlands over electricity," she tells OkayAfrica. "In all honesty, things are not different for us," she adds. "We've been struggling with resources and infrastructure since we started. The only thing is our people have less buying power, but I don't think our politicians can help us with that."

Her words, perhaps unintentionally, capture two things at once: the depth of distrust in government and the deep-seated culture of self-reliance that has grown in the absence of reliable leadership. For many in Soweto and across Johannesburg's neglected neighborhoods, survival has never depended on the state. It has been a matter of perseverance, grit, and making the most of what you have.

But this resignation comes at a cost. When residents stop expecting their government to work, the pressure for systemic change dissipates, leaving whoever occupies the mayor's office to operate in a vacuum of diminished expectations and political accountability.

Meet the candidates so far

Against this backdrop of civic exhaustion, the mayoral race presents a complex picture. With the 2026 elections approaching, parties are maneuvering behind the scenes, but no official candidate lists have been released. A few names have emerged, though the process remains uncertain.

Insiders say some parties feel the "mayoral seat has become politically toothless," a ceremonial post with "no real power to implement change but full accountability when things fall apart." As one councilor put it, "You inherit the dysfunction, but the public still blames you when the lights go out."

This reluctance speaks to a deeper crisis: when political parties themselves view the city's top job as thankless and ineffective, what does that say about the state of local governance?

Dada Morero (ANC)

The incumbent mayor, officially sworn in on 16 August 2024, took over after Kabelo Gwamanda's resignation, the latest casualty of Johannesburg's coalition politics. Since then, Morero has implemented a series of cleanup and revitalization initiatives aimed at stabilizing Johannesburg's image and restoring basic functionality.

His administration has launched several cleanup and revitalization initiatives, including a six-week "inner-city cleanup blitz" across 11 wards, the "KleenaJoburg 100 Spots" campaign targeting illegal dumping, monthly walkabouts to repair potholes, an R296 million electrification program in informal settlements, and an R3.03 billion investment plan utilizing AI leak detection and smart surveillance.

Yet critics question their depth. Zark Lebatlang, a Joburg councilor for ActionSA, remarked, "It looks good in the pictures, but in terms of a sustainable program, there is no clear impact."

Back in Soweto, Kgokong cuts through the rhetoric, "Cemeteries are overrun. Mosquitoes breed in the drains. There hasn't been fumigation in years, and there is a rodent infestation. We're led by people who don't know what they're doing. They're not in office to serve. They're there for prestige."

Meanwhile, Morero's political survival remains precarious. The Democratic Alliance (DA) tabled amotion of no confidence against him on 25th June 2025, accusing his coalition of mismanagement and service failure. The motion collapsed after ActionSA and other parties walked out, denying it the votes — a strategic move driven by coalition partners' frustration with the DA's handling of the motion and wider political posturing. These political games are a familiar story in Joburg's fractious council chambers.

Perhaps most damaging to Morero's community-focused image is the July 1st rollout of steep tariff hikes, which will hit already struggling residents with electricity increasing by 12.7 percent, water and sanitation by 13.9 percent, refuse removal by 6.6 percent, property rates by 4.6 percent, and a prepaid surcharge raised to R270. These increases may undermine his community efforts and deepen the perception that the city is bleeding its poorest residents while failing to deliver lasting solutions.

Helen Zille (DA)

If Morero represents continuity within dysfunction, Helen Zille's potential candidacy promises disruption. Whether that's salvation or further chaos remains hotly debated. Zille, a veteran journalist and politician, has commanded attention since the start of the election cycle. A former mayor of Cape Town and Western Cape Premier, she currently chairs the DA's Federal Council. Zille has confirmed she formally submitted her candidacy by the June 15 deadline, having recused herself from the DA's Federal Executive to avoid conflicts of interest.

Zille's supporters point to her tenure as mayor of Cape Town from 2006 to 2009, often remembered for notable infrastructure improvements and strong fiscal discipline. She led efforts to overhaul the city's financial management, which contributed to Cape Town achieving clean audits under her leadership. Key projects included upgrading water infrastructure, improving road maintenance, and expanding access to basic services in some historically underserved areas.

But her record comes with significant baggage. Critics argue that her focus on strict financial controls and audits sometimes came at the expense of immediate service delivery to marginalized communities. Some informal settlements felt neglected during her term, with accusations that bureaucratic efficiency overshadowed the urgent needs of the urban poor. Her tenure also saw tensions flare over statements and policies perceived as pro-colonial or xenophobic, fueling deep divisions in public opinion.

These concerns extend even within her own party. Some DA members expressed unease over her candidacy, worried that her return to the political frontline could alienate younger voters and reignite ideological fractures within the party. Yet the DA leadership has rallied behind her, with party leader John Steenhuisensaying, "Helen's decision to step aside from the executive was the right one. She's shown leadership by ensuring that the process remains above board, and we support her candidacy fully."

Coalition disarray

Understanding why candidates face such daunting odds requires grappling with the political mathematics that has made Johannesburg ungovernable. Since 2016, no party has held an outright majority, forcing fragile alliances that repeatedly unravel amid infighting and competing agendas.

Previous mayors Mpho Phalatse and Kabelo Gwamanda both fell victim to this instability. Phalatse was ousted after her coalition fell apart in 2022, and Gwamanda resigned after failing to maintain support. This revolving door politics has left Johannesburg with a governance vacuum, eroding public trust, and hampering long-term planning. Each collapse of a coalition resets policy priorities, abandons programs, and forces new administrations to waste time rebuilding relationships. For residents waiting for basic services, these disruptions are the difference between having electricity and living in darkness.

Even the most stable coalition would struggle with Johannesburg's financial constraints. The mayor inherits a structural deficit: municipal debt has ballooned due to unpaid service fees, revenue has shrunk from widespread non-payment, and escalating costs for electricity, water, and maintenance strain budgets. National regulations cap borrowing and require strict compliance, limiting flexibility.

Coalition instability compounds these fiscal challenges through delayed budgets and inefficient spending. The result is a governance vacuum where the mayor's office holds limited power yet bears full responsibility for failures.

The disconnect

This systematic breakdown of political instability and fiscal constraints has created what residents like Kgokong perceive as a crisis that transcends party politics. For him, the rot isn't limited to the ruling party or any single coalition — it's systemic. "It's not ANC or DA or whoever. It's the whole system. People use their positions to climb. They're not in office to serve. They're there for prestige," he says.

In his academic journal article, political analyst Professor Patrick Bond from the University of Johannesburg frames this crisis in broader terms. "The city's collapse is rooted in entrenched inequality and elite-driven development. Until leadership shifts from symbolic reform to structural change, the poorest will keep paying the highest price," he stated.

Kgokong's frustration with coalition politics captures the lived experience of this dysfunction. "Coalitions are meant to bring compromise, but these people bring nothing but ego. You can't lead if your only loyalty is to your party. You lead for your community. That's the deal. If you can't swallow your pride, get out of the way."

As Johannesburg heads toward its 2026 municipal elections, the question isn't just who will be the next mayor — it's whether the structural forces that have led to the downfall of nine previous mayors can be overcome by any individual, regardless of their party affiliation or personal competence. For the millions of residents still waiting for reliable electricity, clean water, and basic dignity from their government, the answer will determine whether Africa's economic powerhouse can be rescued from its downward spiral.