Joburg Mayor Dada Morero denies paying influencers to promote his work
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero is at the center of a social media controversy after accusations emerged that he paid influencers to promote his work online, especially following the opening of Naledi Clinic in Soweto on March 19, 2025.
Posts on the platform X, have sparked debates over whether the praise for Morero’s efforts was genuinely earned or part of a paid campaign.
Several X users shared posts praising the mayor, describing him as a “hard worker” and emphasizing his commitment to efficient service delivery.
One post, in particular, claimed, “Joburg residents deserve efficient service delivery, and that’s exactly what Mayor Dada Morero is committed to.” However, these posts quickly drew suspicion. Critics pointed to the seemingly orchestrated nature of the praise and accused Morero of paying for social media promotion rather than relying on authentic public support.
The hashtag #JoburgServiceDelivery trended in response, with many users questioning the integrity of the posts. Some even suggested that Morero should be investigated for allegedly paying for promotional content instead of focusing on tangible service delivery. “Dada Morero should be investigated for paying for promo instead of service delivery,” one commenter wrote.
Morero and the City of Johannesburg have strongly denied these allegations. In an interview with SowetanLIVE on March 21, 2025, Morero acknowledged awareness of the posts but firmly rejected claims of a paid campaign. “The city has no such campaign. The city can’t procure such a service; it would be outside of our procurement process,” he said.
City spokesperson Nthatisi Modingoane echoed these sentiments in a statement, assuring the public that no influencers had been hired to promote the mayor’s initiatives on X or other platforms. Official communication channels, including the city’s website and Morero’s social media account, were used to share news of the clinic’s opening, they said.