Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s State of the Province Address (SOPA) has drawn mixed reactions, with billions in promised investments and 250,000 potential jobs on the table. While Rise Mzansi praised the focus on water and infrastructure, residents remain wary as evening water restrictions signal that service delivery challenges are far from over. During his address, Lesufi acknowledged ongoing service delivery challenges and stressed that infrastructure failures, not water scarcity, are at the heart of the province’s water crisis.
He announced a R760 million upgrade to fix key systems in Johannesburg and vowed to expand delivery while improving roads, traffic signals, and basic services across the region. Build One South Africa (BOSA) member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature, Ayanda Allie, did not hold back in her assessment of the SOPA, sharply criticising the handling of water and service delivery. “I’m quite concerned.
Right at the beginning, he began with an apology and then spoke about how the issues of water were top of his agenda. But if you remember, when it comes to issues of water, he then says there’s something that’s going to be called, you know, ‘tightening’ or a ‘water restriction’ in the evening. “We should be very careful about such things.
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This is how we got to load shedding and how we got to load reduction. And in fact, more than anything, I’m concerned.”
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