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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi set the scene for his inaugural State of the Province Address (SoPA) when he opened by saying “our people have lost confidence in what we say. They think we talk too much and do less”. 

This was followed by yet another speech which lacked simple solutions and interventions to deal with the most basic needs of residents. 

Instead, the Province was promised all sorts of high-tech, brand new, fancy equipment for a multitude of problems and all new task teams and special units to monitor and evaluate the efficacy of the existing workforce. 

Premier Lesufi, 6 helicopters, 180 drones, CCTV Cameras in townships and 400 vehicles with “proper gadgets” is not the solution to fighting crime. We should rather see increased investment in overcrowded and underserved communities if we are to make a real difference. 

While the abuse of fake blue lights is a growing issue on Gauteng roads, setting up a special unit to deal with this is a mere waste of taxpayers money. 

We appreciate the acknowledgement that the townships in the Province “remain in squalor with sewerage flowing freely together with uncollected garbage”. The reality is that many of these areas have continuously been ignored by this administration. They are overcrowded, and lack basic infrastructure and services to handle the needs of the current residents. 

As GOOD we had hoped to hear your action plan on how to eradicate these issues, and not just a pledge to upscale the formalisation of backyard properties. We need to see the sewerage and garbage issues dealt with based on the current demand first, in order to plan for more residents in these already overpopulated areas.

We would like to commend you for your efforts to restore our Hostels. These Hostels have been heavily neglected over the years by the Government and it is time that they are given the attention they require so that residents who reside in them can do so safely and with dignity. We will hold you accountable to deliver on these promises.

Mr Premier, we once again heard an announcement that e-Tolls have been scrapped, followed immediately with some terms and conditions and an acknowledgement that gantries remain on. We would like to remind you that the both the ANC-led Provincial and National Governments have made promises to scrap e-Tolls since 2013 but 10 years later we keep hearing the same promises and the accompanying T & C’s.

On GBVF, while we commend the commitment to a specific fund to respond to scourge of violence against women and children, this issue requires far more detail and elaboration than your non-specific plan and funds allocated to this. In Gauteng, over 50% of women experience some form of abuse.

We welcome you announcement that you have made addressing climate change and the energy crisis a key focus. However yet again you announced state of the art equipment, helicopters, drones and two more dedicated teams as the solution. 

If you are really serious about the effects of climate change and the energy crisis, the best solution to start with for Gauteng is affordable access to solar energy across all communities. The Provincial government needs to put mechanisms in place to ensure that it’s not just an option available to the rich. If you once again leave the poor behind in this, it will simply perpetuate already staggering inequality and deep poverty in the province. 

Issued by GOOD's Matthew Cook