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Residents, workers, and business owners in Johannesburg’s CBD face the daily consequences of urban decay, unsafe streets, and deteriorating infrastructure. Yet, after years of promises to revitalise the inner city, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced a "mandate" to raise R16 billion for its overhaul.

Given Lesufi’s record of costly and controversial initiatives, from the R8 billion programme to refurbish 18 government-owned buildings over 30 months to the troubled Nasi iSpani initiative and the Gauteng Airwing scandal. The Democratic Alliance (DA) questions whether this latest R16 billion mandate is about genuine CBD revitalisation or political grandstanding ahead of an election.

We caution residents against accepting another grand announcement without evidence of progress on previous plans. Lesufi must account for public money spent on previous plans and demonstrate tangible results before asking residents to place their trust in yet another multibillion-rand promise.

During his 2026 State of the Province Address (SOPA), Lesufi announced an R8 billion, 30-month programme to refurbish 18 government-owned buildings in Johannesburg’s CBD, promising more than 2,500 construction jobs. A walk in the CBD suggests a glaring gap between the announcement and visible progress. Lesufi must account for how many jobs have been created, which buildings are being refurbished, and how much of the promised investment has been committed.

The Amapanyaza project is yet another example of how Lesufi has perfected the politics of grand announcements and impressive figures. His government spent half a billion on training and related costs for crime prevention wardens, only for the Public Protector to determine that their deployment lacked a lawful basis, raising questions about planning, legal oversight, and the programme's value for money.

On 1 April 2024, Lesufi launched the Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing to bolster law enforcement efforts and provide officers with an aerial edge in the battle against crime. However, the contract, worth about R197.5 million, was terminated on 6 January 2026 due to alleged violations of procurement regulations, after around R156.4 million had already been disbursed. Despite this expensive setback, no officials have been held accountable to this day.

Then there is the e-toll saga. In 2024, Lesufi declared that e-tolls would be history, but the unresolved debt remained a contentious issue. In his 2026 SOPA, he acknowledged that Gauteng had paid more than R9 billion towards the R20.086 billion e-toll debt. This means he cleverly announced the end of e-tolls to garner applause but failed to inform Gauteng residents that they would have to foot the bill for the incurred debt.

These examples expose Lesufi’s political strategy of selling grand announcements as achievements while residents wait for results. He appears more focused on generating headlines than delivering on promises. As elections approach, Johannesburg’s CBD needs real investment, functioning infrastructure, safer streets, and a clean environment that attracts businesses and creates sustainable jobs, not another grand promise from a Premier whose record is littered with unfulfilled commitments.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) would prioritise practical delivery over political gimmicks. This includes publishing a costed Johannesburg CBD revitalisation plan with clear deadlines, transparent funding, measurable targets, and regular progress reports. We will revitalise infrastructure through our plan, enhancing street-level safety, enforcing bylaws, maintaining clean public spaces, and creating conditions that attract private investment and sustainable jobs.

Issued by leader of the Official Opposition- Gauteng Solly Msimanga