Morero confident Johannesburg is ready to host G20 Summit

As Johannesburg prepares to host the G20 Summit next month, Mayor Dada Morero says the city is nearly ready, with only a few outstanding issues to address.

World leaders will descend on South Africa this November for the country’s — and the continent’s — first-ever G20 Summit.

However, opposition parties and some residents remain skeptical, raising concerns about the city’s readiness amid persistent service delivery failures, infrastructure challenges, and rising costs linked to the event.

Morero was speaking during a by-law enforcement operation in the CBD on Tuesday — part of the City’s ongoing Inner-City Revitalisation Project, aimed at tackling urban decay, illegal trading, and hijacked buildings.

What was once a congested and littered city centre is now showing signs of transformation, with cleaner, more open streets replacing the chaotic sidewalks once packed with informal stalls and food vendors.

Morero said recent clean-up operations have produced visible improvements, with residents already noticing a difference.

The mayor also revealed that a new blitz will soon target businesses and property owners who fail to comply with municipal rates and taxes.

But not everyone has welcomed the changes. Some food vendors and informal traders say the City’s aggressive by-law enforcement is depriving them of their livelihoods.

Traders along De Villiers Street — a well-known hub for thrift stalls — say JMPD began evicting them earlier this month. In their place, the City has planted trees and widened pedestrian walkways.

One vendor, who has been operating in the area for over two decades, told YNews that the inconsistent enforcement of by-laws makes it difficult for traders to stay compliant.

Meanwhile, the removal of popular thrift stalls has sparked a social media uproar, with many lamenting the loss of affordable clothing in the city centre.

Morero acknowledged the economic importance of informal traders but insists that the clean-up campaign is not meant to destroy livelihoods. Instead, he said, it aims to restore order and ensure that trading happens within the law.

During Tuesday’s operation, a multi-departmental team — including JMPD, City Power, and Home Affairs inspectors — moved through the CBD to address a range of violations, from unauthorised electricity and water connections to the sale of counterfeit goods.

The mayor also raised concern over a growing trend of South African citizens renting out their legal trading stalls to undocumented foreign nationals — a practice he says undermines the City’s efforts to formalise and regulate the informal economy.

In February, a similar high-impact operation at the Bree Taxi Rank resulted in several arrests and the confiscation of counterfeit goods.

Morero says these efforts will continue as Johannesburg pushes to reclaim its inner city — ensuring it’s safe, clean, and functional ahead of the global spotlight brought by the G20 Summit.

We are committed to transforming Johannesburg, as confidently outlined in the State of City Address. We are now executing the Joburg Turnaround Plan with unwavering determination and resolve. pic.twitter.com/ONvIPDEt6t

— Executive Mayor of the City Of Joburg (@DadaMorero) October 14, 2025

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe