City of Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has apologised after a heated confrontation with a resident during a City Power imbizo in Tshepisong on Thursday, where residents were given an opportunity to raise their concerns about service delivery.
The meeting, intended to give residents a platform to voice their frustrations, descended into a tense exchange when Morero reacted angrily to comments made by one of the residents.
“Don’t call me a criminal. I’m not a criminal. Don’t ever do that again. You are old, don’t say again. You are talking shit,” Morero said.
The mayor continued, warning the resident that disrespect would not be tolerated.
“You are talking shit. If you don’t respect us, even us we are able not to respect you. We have the same capacity,” he said.
The confrontation quickly sparked public outrage, with footage of the exchange circulating and drawing criticism over the mayor’s conduct during a public meeting.
Morero later released a video in which he apologised for his outburst and acknowledged that his conduct was inappropriate.
“During the course of the meeting, emotions went high between myself and one of the participants, and I would like to profusely and unconditionally apologise for my utterances,” Morero said.
“It should not have been done in that fashion, and I do take full responsibility.”
Morero said he had also spoken to the resident involved in the confrontation and that his apology had been accepted during the meeting.
“I do apologise for the conduct of that meeting,” he said.
The incident comes as residents across Johannesburg continue to use service delivery imbizos to raise concerns over persistent electricity problems and other municipal challenges.
