GOOD Statement by Matthew Cook ,
GOOD National Chairperson and City of Johannesburg Councillor
24 June 2025
Johannesburg is a city in crisis It is in desperate need of stable, ethical, and effective leadership. This week, the Johannesburg Council will consider three motions of no confidence, including one targeting the Executive Mayor. These motions have the potential to either deepen the dysfunction or create space for accountability and realignment. It is a delicate moment for a city on the brink of collapse.
The GOOD Party has been sharply critical of Mayor Dada Morero’s performance. His tenure has been marked by grand promises and glossy speeches, but the lived reality for millions of Johannesburg residents tells a different story, one of worsening decay, prolonged service delivery backlogs, and shameful neglect of working-class communities. The City cannot be stabilised by speeches. It must be rebuilt through action, competence, and urgency.
That said, Johannesburg has had no fewer than seven mayors in seven years. This revolving door of leadership has only accelerated the city’s collapse. Each political reshuffle may offer momentary satisfaction for those trying to score political points, but it does little to fix the lights, fill the potholes, or restore dignity to our residents.
For this reason, GOOD will vote against the motion to remove the Mayor. Not because we endorse his leadership, far from it, but because Johannesburg needs stability and focus, not more political theatre. Another new mayor is not a governance model, it is a recipe for disaster.
Our vote is not a blank cheque. It is a final warning. The Mayor must get his house in order, unify his coalition, and start delivering measurable improvements.
GOOD will continue to act in the interests of Johannesburg’s residents, not partisan camps or fragile coalitions. We will support what is good and just, challenge what is failing, and always prioritise stability, integrity, and service delivery over political point scoring. Johannesburg cannot afford more instability. But it also cannot afford more excuses.
Media Enquiries:media@forgood.org.za