Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero has dismissed the DA’s criticism of the city’s failing infrastructure as political.
His comments come after DA leader Helen Zille’s widely shared stunt of swimming in a water-filled pothole in Douglasdale.
Morero’s response comes amid growing public scrutiny over burst pipes, potholes and sewer blockages across the city, issues the DA has placed at the centre of its campaign ahead of the local government elections.
He said the DA’s recent focus on service delivery was driven more by politics than concern for residents.
“This sudden interest in Johannesburg by the DA is not about residents, it is about politics. Those who governed elsewhere and left deep inequalities cannot posture as saviours of Johannesburg,” Morero said.
The city moved quickly to repair the pothole. Morero previously told TimesLIVE the matter had already been logged through the city’s systems and the repair was part of ongoing work in the area.
Another infrastructure incident drew attention after a vehicle landed in a pothole near Colony Centre on Jan Smuts Avenue
DA councillor Tim Truluck raised concerns on X, citing Johannesburg Water’s October to December 2025 quarterly report as evidence of worsening infrastructure failures.
Truluck said the city recorded 4,336 burst pipes a month, up from 2,960 in 2024, while sewer blockages rose to 6,123 a month. Only 44% of burst pipes were repaired within 48-hours, well below the city’s 90% target.
He attributed the failures to:
- contractor payment delays;
- equipment shortages; and
- cash flow constraints.
Morero said he would remain focused on service delivery rather than what he described as “political grandstanding”.
Meanwhile, another infrastructure incident drew attention after a vehicle landed in a pothole near Colony Centre on Jan Smuts Avenue.
Johannesburg Water said the city became aware of the problem in December 2025 during leak detection activities after reports of water discharge opposite Marian Court. The site had previously been repaired and reinstated in August 2024 after earlier maintenance work.
“The excavation was necessitated by a burst water pipe. Following repairs, the site could not be fully reinstated due to a damaged stormwater pipe, which falls under the responsibility of the Johannesburg Roads Agency,” Johannesburg Water said.
Johannesburg Road Agency (JRA) said the road had first been fixed in August 2024 after work by Johannesburg Water.
It said the road had to be dug up again after a burst pipe was found in December 2025 following reports of water flowing along Jan Smuts Avenue, opposite Marian Court.
“The pipe was repaired on March 11, 2026, but the road could not be fully fixed because there were high-voltage electricity cables at the site and damage to a stormwater pipe,” JRA said.
JRA said switching off the power would have affected a large area and required a 20 to 21 day notice to residents.
The agency added that an earlier quote of more than R600,000 was rejected because it was too expensive. A new contractor was later appointed for about R5,000, and the pipe was repaired in the first week of March.
It said the road still needs to be filled and fully repaired once work on the damaged stormwater pipe is completed.
JRA said the area has been clearly marked with jersey barriers and warning signs to help prevent accidents.
TimesLIVE
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