Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has survived a motion of no confidence tabled by the Democratic Alliance.
The motion received 24 nods, while 54 members voted against it, and one member abstained from the voting process. The motion was influenced by the discovery that Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens are illegal.
DA leader in Gauteng, Solly Msimanga, also referred to the 2023 Nasi Ispani, a programme that finds job opportunities for Gauteng youth, as a stunt to influence local government elections.
Too many failures in governance
“While the Amapanyaza scandal is a glaring example of Lesufi’ failure at the helm of the province, it is certainly not the only one. The premier has shielded corrupt officials by failing to release lifestyle audits. He has also kept forensic reports under wraps and ignored their recommendations.
“Rather than dismissing senior managers in Gauteng departments implicated in corruption, Lesufi has opted to suspend them without pay, revealing his indecisiveness in holding these officials accountable,” said Msimanga.
He said it has not only been the DA that has criticised Lesufi for withholding lifestyle audit reports, which obstructs transparency and accountability.
He claimed that ActionSA has criticised underspending that has affected service delivery. And the EFF has demanded accountability for the Tembisa Hospital looting. This as some implicated persons remain in their positions.
Rampant corruption
“Political parties such as ActionSA have highlighted rampant corruption in provincial departments. They detailed the challenges service providers face due to corrupt procurement and contract mismanagement. They have called for presidential intervention, labelling Lesufi’s government as corrupt.
“Specifically, the EFF has called for the immediate termination of the R34-million monthly office rentals by the provincial government, following revelations that these funds were paying private landlord leases despite the availability of 41 unused government-owned buildings in Johannesburg and Pretoria.
“Overall, these examples inherently compel political parties to fulfil their promises for the electorate’s benefit. They leave no room for political parties to choose political gain over principle by voting in favour of a premier who has shown, beyond reasonable doubt, that he is not the Moses to guide the people of Gauteng out of unemployment, poverty, and crime,” said Msimanga.
