Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero has defended the work of the so-called Bomb Squad and Presidential Working Group following criticism from the DA and RISE Mzansi.

The DA has raised concerns about the Bomb Squad last month, saying some officials were questioning its legality as it has not been approved by council.

This week, RISE Mzansi accused both the Bomb Squad and the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group of failing to make any impact since being appointed earlier this year.

However, Morero hit back, saying the assertions were misleading and opportunistic, and an attempt to undermine the dedicated professionals who are diligently working to rebuild the city.

“Claims that these initiatives are ineffective are not only false but also an affront to the hard work being done. Since its inception, the Bomb Squad has resolved over 1,200 service delivery hotspots across priority regions, addressing issues such as pothole repairs, water leak closures, and illegal dumping sites,” he said.

According to Morero, the Bomb Squad was established with a clear mission to combat crime and disorder through a military-style approach that incorporates proactive business intelligence gathering, including targeted efforts to address land invasions and service delivery challenges.

He said the city’s Bomb Squad members are deployed daily, executing rapid response operations in areas facing severe service delivery issues and effectively acting as his eyes and ears on the ground.

Morero added that he utilised Section 56(2)(d) of the Municipal Structures Act, which defines the functions and powers of executive mayors and allows him to recommend or determine the best way, including partnerships and other approaches, to deliver those strategies, programmes, and services to the maximum benefit of communities.

“Our data demonstrates a marked improvement: the turnaround time for critical faults has increased by an average of 36% in areas where the Bomb Squad has operated,” he stated, adding that collaborative multi-agency efforts have led to the profiling of 40 hijacked buildings, eradication of illegal connections, and numerous arrests linked to criminal syndicates.

Morero said RISE Mzansi was showing a complete lack of governance capability, with no oversight of any metro and no evidence of effective service delivery in Johannesburg.

Additionally, he said the DA’s governance history in the city is characterised by neglect and failure.

“RISE Mzansi represents empty rhetoric with no delivery experience. Their baseless attacks originate from individuals who have never shouldered the responsibility of managing a city.

“The DA has left Johannesburg fractured and disorganised, allowing billing systems to collapse and fostering an environment where mismanagement thrived,” said Morero.

The DA has accused Morero of being concerned about his re-election at the ANC’s upcoming regional conference and establishing an unconstitutional structure like the Bomb Squad to help him retain his powerful position, in which he is expected to be challenged by new Finance MMC Loyiso Masuku.

loyiso.sidimba@inl.co.za

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