Thousands of Gauteng residents continue to starve and do not have adequate access to nutritious food under Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s watch. This was revealed in the latest findings of the 2024 General Household Survey (GHS) released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA).
The rise in food insecurity is concerning yet Premier Lesufi’s government is not doing enough to rescue our residents from hunger and poverty.
The unemployment rate in the province currently stands at 34.4%. This means that thousands of residents are unemployed and unable to put food on the table.
According to this GHS, 22.2% of households nationwide reported inadequate or severely inadequate access to food in 2024, reversing previous gains in food security. Among individuals, 25.2% reported limited access to food, up from 19.5% in 2019. In Gauteng, 14% of households have inadequate access to food.
In addition, the GHS report revealed that Gauteng is among the provinces with the lowest involvement in subsistence agriculture at 5.1%, making urban households disproportionately reliant on market-purchased food.
During his State of the Province Address (SOPA), Premier Panyaza Lesufi stated that the provincial government will be providing support to 40 SME Agro-processing enterprises. Furthermore, R100 million has been secured in infrastructure investment for agro logistics. We will be tabling questions in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature ( GPL) to ascertain the progress as this is one of many Premier Lesufi’s empty promises. We will hold him accountable for failing to tackle food insecurity in the province.
The DA Gauteng demands expanded support for urban agriculture in Gauteng, including subsidies for rooftop gardens, community food hubs, and market access. Furthermore, we demand a comprehensive audit of all food-related transport costs to identify regulatory bottlenecks artificially inflating food prices. If this situation is not addressed, it will result in an increase in crime as residents struggle to access employment and food.
A DA Gauteng-led provincial government will immediately ensure that subsidies are put in place for rooftop gardens and community food hubs. Furthermore, we will ensure that our roads are repaired to ensure efficient transport systems for businesses. We will eliminate red tape, protect agricultural land, and support emerging farmers to ensure Gauteng produces more affordable food locally.