Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has accused the Democratic Alliance of exploiting the grief of bereaved families and weaponising mass shootings for “cheap political point-scoring”, as the province moves to implement President Cyril Ramaphosa’s national disaster directives on violent crime.
In a blistering statement on Wednesday, Lesufi’s office said the Gauteng Provincial Government had “reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to combating violent crime, mass casualties, and organised syndicates”, but warned that the fight against interconnected criminal networks required operational unity, not political grandstanding.
While acknowledging the gravity of recent killings — including the mass shooting in Carletonville that left multiple people dead — Lesufi directly cautioned the DA against turning tragedy into political theatre.
“The Gauteng Provincial Government strongly cautions political parties, specifically the Democratic Alliance, against exploiting the grief of bereaved families and weaponising these horrific tragedies for cheap political point-scoring,” Lesufi said.
“Transforming calculated acts of violent crime into opportunistic political theatre does a profound disservice to the victims and actively undermines the coordinated law enforcement operations currently underway to apprehend the perpetrators.”
The Premier said this was a time for cross-party unity, not divisive rhetoric.
“This critical period demands cross-party unity and constructive collaboration, rather than divisive rhetoric that seeks to fragment communities when collective resolve is needed most,” he said.
The warning comes after DA leaders in Gauteng and nationally seized on the surge in mass shootings and gang-related murders to demand Lesufi’s removal and to accuse the provincial government of losing control of the province.
The DA has in recent weeks staged visits to crime scenes in Carletonville and West Rand communities.
Lesufi, who has positioned himself as the face of Gauteng’s crime-fighting response, said his administration was now in execution mode following President Ramaphosa’s national address on Tuesday night, in which the President declared violent crime a national priority.
Lesufi has now convened a joint council featuring all Gauteng mayors, municipal managers, the Provincial Executive, and top law enforcement commands.
The urgent assembly will take place on Friday.
“This urgent assembly is actively consolidating operational frameworks to ensure immediate, aggressive compliance with all presidential directives across every municipality in the province,” he said.
Lesufi is expected to outline the next plan of action after the Friday meeting. National Ministers are expected to attend the meeting.
“The provincial government remains focused on executing measurable safety outcomes to restore peace, stability, and security for every resident of Gauteng,” Lesufi said.
The DA had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.