Morero backtracks on announcement Gauteng metros will prioritise fixing G20 routes ahead of global leaders meeting
During the launch of the local government leg of G20, dubbed U20 on Monday, Morero said areas where the high-level meetings are taking place would be the first to be cleaned up.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero during a press briefing at the Johannesburg Water head offices in Newtown, Johannesburg on 11 November 2024. Picture: Jacques Nelles/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has backtracked on an announcement that the Gauteng twin metros would prioritise fixing G20 routes ahead of meetings by global leaders.
Morero and Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya are set to co-host mayors from cities in the G20 bloc to find policy recommendations to address and advocate for action on climate resilience, economic recovery and social equity.
During the launch of the local government leg of G20, dubbed U20 on Monday, Morero said areas where the high-level meetings are taking place would be the first to be cleaned up.
This includes covering up potholes, fixing malfunctioning traffic lights and bolstering safety measures.
In a stunning admission on Monday, Joburg Mayor Morero had this to say about plans to address the dilapidated state of affairs in the country’s economic hub.
“We have prioritised certain routes within Johannesburg which are G20 routes to ensure that at least we can make them to be at the standard they should be... No potholes, no traffic signals that are not working.”
Morero has since come under fire for his comments, especially from residents who criticised his administration for making them second class citizens.
But he made a U-turn this morning on the Clement Manyathela Show saying he used the wrong choice of words.
“It’s probably a question of language but we have said we are focusing on the entire city in terms of infrastructure development to respond to the current challenges.”
The same concerns were raised almost two weeks ago when the G20 foreign ministers met in the south of Joburg.
At the time, International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola denied claims that service delivery in parts of the country has only been sped up for the arrival of international guests attending G20 meetings.