DA says Gauteng residents are tired of empty promises.
The DA in Gauteng says the province is in the worst state it has ever been under the leadership of premier Panyaza Lesufi and his minority government.
Their provincial leader, Solly Msimanga, briefed the media on Thursday in Johannesburg about what they described as the “true” state of the province address (Sopa).
This briefing comes days before Lesufi is expected to deliver his own state of the province address (Sopa).
Msimanga said the province is facing serious challenges, including dysfunctional municipalities, water and electricity outages, high unemployment and service delivery failures.
“Streets and homes in various parts of this province are being flooded with raw sewage. Residents in desperate need of medical treatment are forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of beds.
“Women and children have been forced to flee their homes in Randfontein due to threats from Zama-Zamas involved in illegal mining activity.
“Schools are overcrowded, and thousands of learners missed the first few weeks of school because of placement issues,” he said.
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Service delivery failures exposed after G20
Msimanga said the province made haste to ensure that the G20 Leaders Summit, which was held in Johannesburg, was a success by making sure that the areas where diplomats were staying had proper service delivery.
But he says service delivery has once again declined since the diplomats left the country.
“Now that the fog has lifted, the true reality of decay and neglect is being reflected by the daily experiences of Gauteng residents. The issues I have highlighted are not new.
“These are problems that the province has been grappling with for a long time while provincial leadership has slept at the wheel. The residents of Gauteng are reaching the breaking point,” he said.
Msimanga said he expects Lesufi to make more promises in his Sopa.
What happened to the 13 priorities?
Last year, Lesufi identified 13 key priorities that his government would focus on.
The issues included:
- Water shortages
- Infrastructure failures
- Cable theft and vandalism
- Non-functional traffic lights
- Potholes
- Electricity, in particular, load shedding and load reduction in communities
- Service at public hospitals and clinics
- Shortage of schools
- Failing infrastructure
- collapsing CBDs
- Unemployment
“It has been said that doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is insanity.
“The same cohort of leadership that has overseen Gauteng as it has sunk into this state of disaster will be making claims that they have the solutions, when all they have to offer is the same bag of tricks that has failed,” he said.
Failing municipalities
Msimanga said Johannesburg is not the only municipality in the province that is struggling to deliver basic services such as water. He said this is a problem in most municipalities across the province.
“All due to poor management and a lack of proactive management from government, especially at the local government level.
“Of course, later this year, we will head to the polls to elect new ward councillors and mayors across the country. This offers the residents of the province a chance to change the status quo, save themselves from the insanity of service delivery failures, and vote in a government that is people-centred and intent on rooting out corruption at the lowest levels and all the way to the top.”
Gauteng roads
Msimanga said residents across the province are subjected to long waiting times in traffic because 44% of the province’s traffic lights are not working.
“Over R200 million is needed to fix these non-working traffic lights. The only challenge now is to find a reliable service provider that can complete the work on time and within budget.”
Msimanga said Lesufi’s government is facing 988 pothole-related lawsuits, having already spent R199 million of taxpayers’ money on payouts and legal fees due to its complete failure to maintain Gauteng’s roads.
“This is despite promises by the current government that there will be a 72-hour turnaround time for the fixing of potholes in the province.”
Unemployment
Despite Lesufi’s work opportunity initiatives, Msimanga said unemployment in the province continues to soar, and government departments have high vacancy rates.
“Furthermore, Lesufi claimed that 832 150 jobs would be created. But the latest labour force survey showed only 102 000 created, which was a fraction of the failed promise and far less than the population growth.
“But even then, his figure is not a true reflection of the permanent jobs that should have been created in the province. In fact, his number included temporary job opportunities.
“While these job opportunities are welcomed, our residents are in fact needing permanent employment, so they can support their families and improve their quality of life and not live from hand to mouth.”
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