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Joburg Mayor and Officials Lose Court Battle Over VIP Protection
The City of Johannesburg’s leadership, including Mayor Dada Morero, may be forced to give up their VIP protection and luxury transport after failing to meet a court-ordered deadline.
The Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg had set a February 14 deadline for the city to comply with a ruling that declared its VIP Protection and Security policy unconstitutional. However, the city missed this deadline, putting Morero and other officials at risk of losing their police escorts and high-end vehicles.
Court Rejects City’s Request for an Extension
Judge Stuart Wilson had suspended his initial January 2 ruling to allow the city time to present evidence justifying the need for continued VIP protection. The city, however, failed to provide sufficient proof that its officials faced imminent harm. As a result, the judge dismissed the municipality’s request for an extension until April 30.
The policy in question, which was legally challenged by the DA, had allowed 15 top city officials to be assigned extensive security teams. This included Mayor Morero, who had 10 bodyguards and a fleet of six vehicles, including luxury BMWs and SUVs. Speaker Nobuhle Mthembu had a similar setup, with eight bodyguards and multiple high-end cars. Other officials were allocated between two and five bodyguards, along with at least two vehicles.
DA Warns Against Non-Compliance
Following the court ruling, DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku confirmed that the party’s shadow public safety MMC, Solomon Maila, had written to Morero, demanding immediate compliance. She warned that if the city failed to withdraw the vehicles and bodyguards by noon, officials would be in contempt of court.
“We are closely monitoring the situation,” she stated.
JMPD Chief’s Justification Falls Short
In an attempt to delay the ruling’s implementation, newly appointed JMPD chief Patrick Jaca informed the court that the municipality needed until April 30 to comply. He argued that an assessment was required to determine whether certain senior municipal councillors still needed protection under the Remuneration of Public Office Bearers Act.
However, Judge Wilson found Jaca’s submission insufficient, noting that no compelling evidence had been provided to justify extending VIP protection. The judge pointed out that some councillors had previously reported threats, but there was no indication that their safety would be at risk if their security details were revoked.
Among those who had raised concerns were chief whip Nkosephayo Zungu and public safety MMC Dr. Mgcini Tshwaku, who claimed to have received anonymous threats in the past. Finance MMC Margaret Arnolds also alleged she had been followed home from work.
Despite these claims, the judge ruled that no clear evidence of imminent danger had been presented. He further noted that Zungu, who survived a shooting incident last year, was already entitled to two bodyguards, and there was no explanation as to why this was insufficient.
With the court rejecting the city’s request for more time, Morero and other officials now face the reality of losing their VIP perks. The mayor’s office has yet to comment on the ruling.
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