Morero calls on anyone with information on influencer campaign to come forward

JOHANNESBURG – The Mayor of Johannesburg, Dada Morero, is calling on anyone with information about who may have paid influencers to promote him on social media to come forward.

Last week, the hashtag "Joburg Service Delivery" took over on X, formerly Twitter, with prominent influencers praising the mayor for his efforts in improving service delivery.

Morero has faced criticism for allegedly spending State funds on influencers to convince residents that his administration was working hard.

Morero said he’s seen the countless posts on X singing his praises but has denied paying influencers to promote him and the city.

READ: Morero denies paying influencers to promote him and the City of Johannesburg

He said he was just as puzzled as everyone else when he saw the posts and insisted that no one from his office authorised any paid promotion.

“We do not need any form of influencers, and I have not given any form of instruction to anyone and I’m definitely sure that my office has not acted in that fashion.”

Morero added that anyone with information on how this happened was welcome to reach out to him.

“We want to urge those who have information, if they have, that my office paid influencers to hype what we are doing as the executive to come forward, but where we are, we had no intentions.”

The paid promotion on X has sparked public outrage, with some criticising the city for prioritising the wrong issues.