The City of Johannesburg is on high alert as mayor Dada Morero has issued a stern warning to businesses and individuals who neglect to comply with municipal by-laws and fall behind on their monthly obligations for municipal services.

At the centre of Morero’s mission is the alarming debt of over R10 billion owed to City Power, with a substantial portion attributable to households, businesses, and even government entities.

“The intention is clear. We are enforcing the by-law enforcement and crime prevention, while also dealing with those who are defaulting on the payment of services,” Morero affirmed.

Morero further indicated that this robust approach targets offenders, particularly those guilty of tampering with water and electricity meters.

As the operation unfolded, the non-compliant closure of a bottle store in Newtown exemplified the mayor’s commitment to enforcing by-laws. Additionally, street vendors operating illegally on Helen Joseph Street (formerly President Street) faced repercussions, with officials taking a no-nonsense approach to violations of city laws.

The Mayoral High Impact Service Delivery Operation shifts to Region F this week. Executive Mayor Cllr. @DadaMorero and City officials have gathered at Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown for a strategic briefing before deploying across Ward 60. @CityofJoburgZA @RegionF_Joburg pic.twitter.com/vmOpt8DqZn

— Joburg Roads Agency (@MyJRA) January 20, 2026

Among those affected was James, a shoe informal trader from Burkina Faso, who expressed his distress as JMPD officers confiscated his stock.

“I do not know what to do. This is bad for me, and it is not as if we are making a lot of money. All we are doing is trying to make an honest living to pay rent and feed our families,” James lamented. While some of his colleagues managed to escape the operation, he and others could not escape the crackdown due to the volume of their stock and the difficulty of just leaving everything behind.

City Power spokesperson, Isaac Mangena, called for the urgent need for collaboration between the city and businesses.

“This operation is good in terms of the challenges faced by the city regarding revenue collection. We have heightened vandalism and theft of city infrastructure, especially in the inner city, where the debt is most concentrated,” he explained. Mangena highlighted that close to R1 billion of the R10bn owed is attributable to government departments, a troubling development for an entity reliant on service fees to maintain operations.

In line with this effort, further operations were conducted on other parts of the city, including Winnie Mandela Drive, along the M1 highway, where acting Chief of Police Eldred Fortein ensured stringent enforcement of city regulations. 

Morero further called on city officials to never compromise on enforcing city laws, adding that the future of the city depends on consistent law enforcement operations.

“We must know that what we are doing, we are doing for the future of this country and this city. The next generation, including your children, must find this city fully functional. We must all do our jobs and ensure that we comply at all times. To those who are not paying for services, their services should be cut off, without fear or favour. However, it is important to respect those we deal with at all times,” he added.

siyabonga.sithole@inl.co.za

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