Finance Minister Godongwana Criticizes Joburg Mayor Over Unaffordable R10.3 Billion Wage Deal

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG— The Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, scolded Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero for a R10.3 billion wage agreement which the city cannot afford. Godongwana threatened to cut funding to the City until the agreement is cancelled.

According to Bloomberg, Godongwana sent Morero a sharply worded letter on 23 April 2026 in which he ordered him to stop the implementation of the agreement signed between the City of Johannesburg and the South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU). He noted that the two-year agreement was signed illegally as the City cannot afford it, and it has the potential to destroy Johannesburg’s sustainability.

Godongwana slams Johannesburg mayor

Godongwana also took Morero, who survived a motion of no confidence in January 2026, to task for the slew of violations the City of Johannesburg committed. He said that the municipality did not pay creditors on time, and revenue targets were not being met. He added that Johannesburg did not address the wasteful and unauthorised expenditure Treasury warned about in 2025.

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Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille, said that Johannesburg owed over R25 billion and if Godongwana cut funding to the city, it would lose a 10th of its budget. She said that the City of Johannesburg is bankrupt, and this explains why the city’s crumbling infrastructure is not fixed. Morero has had difficulty holding onto power since he was elected the mayor of Johannesburg, having survived multiple motions of no confidence and severe criticism from opposition parties about issues including corruption and the City’s response to the water crisis.

Source: Briefly News