What was meant to be a mere suggestion in a multi-page political report has become a public relations nightmare for City of Joburg Mayor Dada Morero who now faces not just backlash but calls for his resignation too.
Morero has spent much of this week trying to make things right with residents of the city and South Africans at large seemingly to no avail.
Morero made the call to recruit foreign nationals into the city’s law enforcement agencies on Sunday prompting an immediate reaction on social media with many calling for his head and his political principal Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi who is also the provincial ANC chairperson Panyaza Lesufi joining in on the rejection of the suggestion.
Morero, through the ANC Regional Executive Committee called the media to a briefing in Magaliesburg ( Westrand) where he apologised for the suggestion also indicating he now considered the matter closed but social media remained relentless.
On Wednesday Morero invited the media to a briefing about inner city rej-uvination which turned out to be a PR exercise executed alongside Ellis Park stadium management company and the Golden Lions Rugby Club but reporters insisted on asking him about his statement on foreign nationals.
“He wants to tell us about Foreigners, or he does not see us, what exactly is Dada Morero saying, maybe there is something he wants to tell us. Let me speak to the mayor direct,” said a resident who was among scores from Soweto who march on the City of Joburg on Wednesday to demand employment and insisted on submitting their CVs.
Morero underplayed the protest saying residents had completely misunderstood him and emphasising that there were currently open vacancies in the Johannesburg Metro Police Department.
“We don’t have posts advertised at the Johannesburg Metropolice department and we had no intention at that time to even have posts, of course the is misinterpretation by communities”, said Morero during a walkabout of Elis Park Precinct on Wednesday.
Immigration has become a major issue with commentators believing the EFF possibly lost votes due to its pro-Africa stance while the likes of Action SA and Patriotic Alliance are seen as having gained from their anti-foreigner stance.
Even as Morero comes under fire the ANC ( bar for Lesufi), has remained quiet on the matter as it did in its election campaign messaging wherein it referred to crime in generalised terms and certainly did not single out immigration as a contributor.
Meanwhile an online petition calling for Morero as mayor has now been signed by some 13 000 people and continues to be canvassed on social media platform X.
Even President Cyril Ramaphosa did not receive the kindest response when he sought to call for the expedition of the visa applications of scarce skilled persons seeking to relocate to South Africa.
“We must accelerate the work to overhaul the visa regime to attract critical skills, investment and tourism,” said Ramaphosa in an X post that saw many users reject the notion of scarce skills arguing that most foreigners come to South Africa to do entry level jobs.
The calls for Morero’s head come just weeks after the ANC reclaimed control of the city and installed him as a mayor.