Residents living in Gauteng continue to suffer due to appalling and inhumane living conditions. They struggle to access basic services such as water, electricity, and proper sanitation, largely because the Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) and the City of Johannesburg (COJ) have failed to manage public resources effectively and deliver services.
This was revealed by the Public Protector (PP) during a recent presentation to Gauteng’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA). Many of these investigative reports were completed years ago, but because government departments failed to respond to the remedial action proposed by the PP, the office of the PP appealed to SCOPA for assistance in holding the politicians to account.
These reports confirmed what residents already know. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s and Mayor Dada Morero’s administrations are incapable of delivering basic services, managing public resources and on the basis of not implementing the remedial action proposed by the PP, show their contempt for accountability.
The Public Protector investigations confirmed mismanagement and improper conduct relating to the following matters:
- Non-delivery of bulk services in Alexandra by the City of Johannesburg
- Poor housing delivery in Alexandra by the Gauteng and Johannesburg Departments of Human Settlements
- Law enforcement breakdown in Alexandra due to a lack of commitment and expertise by SAPS and JMPD
- Neglect of social services in Alexandra by the Department of Social Development in Gauteng and the City of Johannesburg
- Poor planning and management of the building of Mayibuye Primary School
- Administrative deficiencies in the Gauteng Department of Health impacting hospital readiness at hospitals across the province to treat patients during the Covid pandemic.
The Public Protector was not able to investigate alleged corruption in the Alexandra Renewal Project (ARP) because the source documents were not available, they had been seized by the forensic audit unit in the City of Johannesburg. Instead, a proposal was put by the PP to Premier Lesufi to request the President to issue a proclamation that the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) investigate the corruption in the ARP.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) will put questions to Premier Lesufi to determine if he is aware of this proposal by the PP and whether he has interacted with the President to request an SIU investigation.
For far too long, the DA Gauteng has been exposing the lack of service delivery across the province such as crumbling infrastructure, failing health services and lawlessness. These reports proves that Lesufi’s government has failed the residents of Gauteng.
A DA-led Gauteng provincial government will ensure that all remedial actions highlighted in the Public Protector’s report are implemented and ensure proper monitoring of this process. We will hold all MECs and the Heads of Departments (HODs) accountable for the failures of their departments. Furthermore, the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) will adequately oversee the functionality of all municipalities and intervene where necessary.