Dada Morereo Sets Aside R296 Million to Electrify Informal Settlements in Joburg, SA Not Impressed

• Dada Morero has set aside R296 million for the electrification of informal settlements in Johannesburg
• As of March 2025, 2,675 households in informal settlements had been connected to the City of Johannesburg power grid
• South Africans argued that many undocumented foreigners were living in informal settlements and would benefit

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG – The electrification of informal settlements remains a top priority for the City of Johannesburg.

That’s according to Mayor Dada Morero, who unveiled his plans for Johannesburg during his State of the City Address. Morero delivered the address at the Johannesburg Council Chambers, Braamfontein, on 7 May 2025.

R296 million set aside for electrification project

During his address, Morero turned his attention to the informal settlements, saying that R296 million would be set aside to provide electricity to these areas. This money would be used to connect areas such as Diepsloot, Orange Farm, and Kaya Sands to the grid.

“This initiative will provide safe and legal electricity access to thousands of households, integrating them into the urban energy system and laying the groundwork for service upgrades and formalisation,” he said.

City Power connects seven informal settlements to the power grid

The latest plans are part of the city’s broader attempts to provide electricity to all residents. In March 2025, City Power announced that it had connected seven informal settlements to the power grid. As of March 2025, 2,675 households in informal settlements had been connected to the City of Johannesburg grid.

City Power said that this was also done in an attempt to rid the areas of illegal connections in informal settlements, adding that many suffered injuries over the years while connecting electricity illegally. The power entity has had a lot of battles with illegal connections. In April 2025, it fired five employees for connecting electricity illegally in parts of Johannesburg.

South Africans are not impressed

Social media users weighed in on the mayor’s plans, with many criticising it, saying it would only benefit undocumented immigrants. Others were concerned that the money would disappear before then.

Mynderd Palm said:

“Rather, build a settlement where people can live with dignity. And deport the illegal immigrants, because you are only giving them free electricity and then they will call their friends, and they will all live happily ever after on taxpayers’ money.”

Sharon Struckmeyer asked:

“Are they going to pay for electricity like the rest of us?”

Mpho Vincent stated:

“It's not make sure with the ANC governing the province. I hope the money will not vanish without any lights being turned on.”

Michael Angelo Fisher added:

“That money will disappear soon. Can't trust the problem to fix the problem.”

Kgotso Tiffanys Mokatsanyane said:

“Dada Morero needs to step down. Most of the informal settlements are occupied by foreign nationals. If you look closely, first he wanted to employ foreign nationals in the Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD), now he wants to electrify informal settlements, where 50% of those settlements are occupied by them.”

Lebza Bigcee noted:

“This stupid mayor forgets that the majority of people in the informal settlements are foreigners. He wants to give them free electricity now.”

Willie Lekuba suggested:

“Start by clearing out the illegal undocumented foreigners before electrifying those informal settlements. You don't need to supply non-South Africans with the money from the government.”

What you need to know about Dada Morereo

Dada Morero has been serving as the Executive Mayor of Johannesburg since his election in August 2024. Before taking office, he held the position of Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance and currently serves as the regional chairperson of the African National Congress (ANC) in Johannesburg.

Morero began his career at the South African Secret Service, later moving to the Department of Home Affairs, where he focused on tackling corruption and organised crime. In 2004, he joined the City of Johannesburg, initially working in the office of then-MMC for Finance, Parks Tau, and later becoming Director of Customer Centres and Marketing.

Democratic Alliance files motion of no confidence in Morero

In a related article, the Democratic Alliance filed a motion of no confidence against Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero.

The party filed the motion ahead of the State of the City Address, which Morero delivered on 7 May 2025.

Briefly News reported that the DA also called for the speaker, Nobuhle Mthembu, to step down from her role.

Source: Briefly News