Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi is set to deliver his first and much-anticipated State of the Province Address (Sopa) at the Johannesburg City Hall on Monday afternoon.
In his address, Lesufi, who was sworn in as Gauteng premier in October 2022, is expected to reflect on the progress made by the province in delivering on the commitments in the previous Sopa and outline new commitments for the year ahead.
At the time he took over as premier of South Africa’s economic hub, Lesufi made promises on how he will elevate Gauteng’s economic standing and governance.
Some of the promises included a budget allocation for townships, the creation of spaza shops by locals and scrapping off of township electricity debts, speeding up of payments to service providers, scrapping of controversial e-tolls, the establishment of a provincial state bank and the refurbishment of hospitals.
Expectations are high for the premier to deliver on his promises.
Solly Msimanga, DA Gauteng provincial leader, has said his party expects Lesufi to outline progress made and the difference each of these promises has made to the lives of people in the province.
In his speech, soon after he was sworn in, Lesufi made special mention of Soweto and Thembisa. However, according to Msimanga, the premier needs to prioritise all the townships and not just a few he mentioned.
“In terms of upgrading township informal settlements and hostels, we need to see the entire province prioritised, not just a certain section. Furthermore, more support needs to be given to our municipalities that are in dire straits.
Msimanga said: “A clear financial plan must be put forward when it comes to putting up new infrastructure, we cannot just talk about upgrading hospitals and building new schools when there is no budget of it.
“Our roads are not in tip-top condition. Yet last year, premier Lesufi promised that there would not be a Gautrain expansion but rather spending on townships. In addition, he also promised that e-tolls would be scrapped.
“However, we need to know where the money for the scrapping of e-tolls will come from. Will Gauteng residents be made to pay for this? Will money be taken from other departments to pay for the debt?”
Msimanga said the premier will also need to address the issue of massive spending within the provincial department of sport, arts, culture, and recreation, noting that the money spent on what he referred to as “insignificant events” should rather be used on upgrading provincial heritage sites, libraries and the maintenance of infrastructure.
“Our hospitals have an enormous backlog of surgeries, with some patients waiting for as long as five years. The Thembisa Hospital is facing immense pressure because there is no hospital in Kempton Park. Our residents need to know what progress has been made in finding a suitable site for a new hospital in Kempton Park and by when this will be completed.
“A new provincial state bank is supposed to be established, but again we lack an explanation of where this money will come from and what will happen to entities like the Gauteng Enterprise Propeller, which is mandated to assist small businesses in the province.”
The issue of energy crises is also set to take centre stage during Lesufi’s address, with many hoping to hear viable plans to mitigate against rampant rolling blackouts.
Msimanga said the DA expects Lesufi to give account to the residents of Gauteng for his government’s plans to secure electricity, adding that it is time for services to be delivered without the interference of corruption.
“We no longer want empty promises but want our residents to know that service delivery will improve and that the Sopa is not just a box-ticking exercise,” Msimanga said.
“Cadre deployment needs to end. Corruption must be rooted out. The time for politicking is over, and service delivery needs to happen now. Our residents deserve a government that they can trust.”
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