Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi.
Opposition parties have dismissed Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s State of the Province address (Sopa) as lacking substance, accusing him of making grand promises without clear implementation strategies.
Democratic Alliance (DA) provincial leader Solly Msimanga said Lesufi’s address was full of “hot air,” failing to provide concrete plans to combat crime and improve services in the country’s economic capital.
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) provincial leader Nkululeko Dunga said Lesufi’s address was another exercise in empty rhetoric.
“This recurring pattern of unfulfilled commitments continues to undermine the trust and aspirations of the people of Gauteng,” he said, adding that the province remains plagued by electricity shortages, water crises, unemployment and insecurity.
This comes after Lesufi laid out 13 key issues his administration must urgently address, ranging from water shortages to crime and lawlessness.
Speaking in Pretoria on Monday, he said that tackling these issues was essential for the provincial government’s relevance.
“Whatever we do and whatever we say, if we don’t resolve these problems, being here will mean nothing,” Lesufi said.
His list of problems to be resolved also included load-shedding, deteriorating infrastructure, service delivery failures at hospitals and clinics, the rapid growth of informal settlements and rising unemployment.
Regarding the ongoing water crisis, Lesufi apologised to residents and announced a collaboration with municipalities and the department of water and sanitation.
He said City Power would assume control of electricity supply at the Eikenhof pump station, while Eskom would take charge of the Emfuleni pump station to stabilise operations.
“We are at an advanced stage of repairing leaks and replacing ageing pipes. Since this intervention, water is gradually coming back to our homes,” he said.
But Msimanga said City Power was incapable of managing its own affairs.
“The decision to hand over control to City Power is not only unwise but also highlights a lack of ideas on how to address Gauteng’s challenges.
“If Lesufi truly understood the issues, he would know that City Power is already struggling to manage its own operations and cannot afford to take on additional responsibilities. This is the same utility that recently had to seek the energy minister’s intervention to resolve its billing dispute with Eskom,” he said.
On cable theft and vandalism, Lesufi reported that authorities had shut down 1 079 non-compliant scrap yards, 593 illegal spare shops and 149 unlicensed tyre shops. Additionally, 716 owners and operators had been arrested and prosecuted.
“We’ve resolved to install tech logs that will alert us instantly when our network is tampered with, and a 24-hour response team will always be on standby,” he said.
A budget had also been set aside for a team to immediately repair or replace malfunctioning traffic lights.
Crime prevention
Lesufi said crime prevention remains a priority for the provincial government and intelligence efforts had identified 442 criminal kingpins responsible for crimes such as cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, hijackings, contract killings, ATM bombings and business robberies.
The province has also moved aggressively against illegal land occupation, demolishing more than 6 600 newly erected shacks and obtaining a standing court order to evict what he termed “mkhukhu mafias”.
But Dunga rejected this plan. “This is an act of state-sponsored violence against the poor, who have demonstrated their willingness and ability to provide shelter for themselves when given the opportunity.”
On energy security, Lesufi said the provincial government was committed to expanding generation capacity, promoting renewable energy and protecting critical infrastructure.
“We have done what no other province has done by investing over R1.2 billion in energy infrastructure, directly impacting over 43 400 households and reducing the burden of load-shedding,” he said.
Gauteng has partnered with City Power and the Anergi Group’s Kelvin power station near OR Tambo airport, which has already added 180 megawatts to the Johannesburg grid, with plans to expand its capacity to 600MW.
Other projects include an 800MW solar farm in Merafong in the West Rand and the revitalisation of the John Ware power station in the Johannesburg suburb of Fordsburg to generate 200MW.
The EFF said this was a reckless move that highlights the government’s lack of vision in addressing the crisis.
Dunga said these entities have already failed to provide a stable electricity supply and cannot be relied upon to power critical infrastructure.
Instead of deepening dependence on struggling institutions, he urged the provincial government to invest in alternative energy sources to remove Gauteng’s water infrastructure from the national grid.
On job creation, Lesufi announced plans to generate 271150 permanent jobs and 561000 employment opportunities under both public and private initiatives.
Key projects include:
- The second phase of the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone, expected to inject R6.1 billion into the economy and create 4000 construction jobs and 2150 permanent positions.
- A R220 billion infrastructure pipeline set to create 34000 construction jobs and 17000 post-construction.
- The expansion of Lanseria International Airport, which is projected to attract R3 billion in investment and generate 3000 jobs for residents of Diepsloot and surrounding areas.
- The Gautrain expansion, anticipated to create 125000 jobs.
