Premier Panyaza Lesufi will deliver his State of the Province Address (SOPA) this evening, and Gauteng residents should expect more empty promises and continued service delivery failures.
Likewise, Premier Lesufi will make bold commitments and portray a government that is working for the people despite failing dismally to deliver basic services such as water, electricity, and sanitation and to fix roads.
These SOPA addresses have come to be stories of a parallel universe, devoid of the reality of what residents experience on a daily basis.
Residents have suffered enough under Lesufi’s government. Every community, from Tshwane to Merafong, except the DA-led Midvaal, is complaining about one or more of the following issues: water, electricity, sanitation, schools, hospitals, roads, social services, housing, unemployment, or corruption.
Most areas across the province have either been without water for weeks, while others have never had electricity for years due to the failure to fix broken transformers. Johannesburg residents have taken their frustration to the streets, but not enough has been done to resolve water outages.
Water infrastructure, particularly the reservoirs and pipes, has not been maintained or replaced for years. Furthermore, despite the population of several townships having increased, sewer upgrades have not been done. Residents are living in a health hazard with sewage flowing inside their homes and streets. Emfuleni is the a typical example of where sanitation has totally collapsed.
Infrastructure has collapsed due to a lack of regular maintenance and poor governance. Roads are littered with potholes and sinkholes, causing a danger to motorists and pedestrians. 44% of Gauteng provincial traffic lights are not functioning despite his promise to ensure that our roads are up to standard.
Furthermore, schools, hospitals and clinics are overcrowded and lack resources. Residents die waiting for cancer treatment, and learners are deprived of quality education due to a lack of chairs, desks and learning materials.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) Gauteng has criss-crossed the province as part of its oversight function. All municipalities across the province are facing the same challenges in service delivery, except for the DA-led Midvaal municipality, which has consistently delivered services to its residents.
Despite all these severe issues facing Gauteng, residents remain loyal in paying for utilities that they don’t use, which Premier Lesufi must reflect on.
Corruption is rampant in the province, and the Premier will once again indicate that they are in the process of completing lifestyle audits. We have been hearing this statement for years, yet with no results.
If Premier Lesufi is indeed serious about fixing the current state of the province, he would not put words on paper and leave them unfulfilled for an entire year. He would act immediately. The fact that he redeployed the corrupt senior officials demonstrates that he cares little about accountability.
Premier Lesufi has the resources and capabilities to fix the province; we have seen in preparation for the G20 summit that pre-existing infrastructure issues were resolved to impress international guests. This demonstrates his uncaring behaviour toward the well-being of the residents. Gauteng residents must not expect anything from Lesufi; he will never change, and he lacks the political will to lead.
There can never be showers of praise for Panyaza, no matter the amount of times he goes to hotels to take a shower, while residents continue to suffer. He and his executive must have sleepless nights, knowing that they pushing this province and its people to complete disaster.
Good governance, accountability and access to uninterrupted services are possible. We have seen this happen in the DA-led Midvaal Local Municipality. Residents receive the services they pay for, and the private sector is investing in the local Midvaal economy. Yes, this can be done!