Dada Morero Blames Shop Owners for Dirty State of Joburg CBD, South Africans Debate His Comments
- Mayor Dada Morero recently commented on the dirty state of the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD)
- The mayor called on shop and property owners to play their part in helping keep the city clean and free from decay
- South Africans weighed in on Morero's comments, sharing mixed reactions to the mayor's comments about the city
Source: Getty Images
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 – Dada Morero has blamed shop and property owners for the filth in the Johannesburg Central Business District (CBD).
The City of Johannesburg Mayor also warned that the municipality would no longer tolerate practices that contributed to filth and decline.
Morero’s comments come as authorities increase efforts to clean up and reclaim the inner city, which has become home to hijacked buildings and illegal activities.
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Shop owners are instructed to clean up
Morero visited the city centre on Monday, 23 December 2025, along with the ward councillor, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Pikitup, and law enforcement officials. While there, he instructed shopkeepers to clean pavements outside their premises and remove waste from the surrounding areas.
He also accused shop owners of undermining the city’s efforts to keep it clean. He explained that officials observed a decline in cleanliness standards, as well as a resurgence of illegal trading.
“Shop owners have continuously undermined the cleanliness; they are contributing to the decay in the city. They are throwing their plastics and their boxes right in front of the streets on the pavement with no regard for the law,” Morero said.
Source: Twitter
The state of Johannesburg has been in the spotlight in recent months, as a major clean-up was conducted before the G20 Summit.
Many accused the municipality of cleaning up just because international visitors were arriving. Residents questioned why a similar urgency was not applied throughout the year. Morero vowed that service delivery would be ongoing, and not just for the international event.
How did South Africans react to Morero’s statement?
Social media users weighed in on the mayor’s statement, with some asking what was done differently during the G20, and others questioning whose job it was to keep the city clean.
Mike Govender asked:
“Who is cleaning the streets? Is it the Joburg metro or the shop owners?”
Sduu Duma stated:
“It's his job to manage them.”
Nicolas Mokgonyana asked:
“What were the shop owners doing differently during G20?”
Oualaalou ZH said:
“Partly correct. His officials are part of the problem as well. Why aren’t bylaws enforced?”
Reena Roy stated:
“Service delivery lacking.”
Vassa Reddy stated:
“You failed on your promise after the G20/ you guaranteed that the city would always be clean, always. It's been a month, and we are still dealing with filth in the inner city."
Video shows foreign nationals causing unrest in CBD
Briefly News reported in December 2024 that a video surfaced of hundreds of foreign nationals walking down a street in the Johannesburg CBD.
The video also showed them causing unrest in the CBD, as they chanted and marched along the street. leaving South Africans furious.
Many questioned why law enforcement did not prevent the protest, and ActionSA president Herman Mashaba also questioned it.
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Source: Briefly News
