Gauteng Sopa 2026: DA warns of more tricks in Lesufi’s bag

DA’s leader in Gauteng Solly Msimanga at lnkululeko House in Johannesburg, 20 February 2025. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen The DA in Gauteng says the province is in the worst state it has ever been under the leadership of premier Panyaza Lesufi and his minority government. Their provincial leader, Solly Msimanga, briefed the media on Thursday in Johannesburg about what they described as the “true” state of the province address (Sopa).

This briefing comes days before Lesufi is expected to deliver his own state of the province address (Sopa). Msimanga said the province is facing serious challenges, including dysfunctional municipalities, water and electricity outages, high unemployment and service delivery failures. “Streets and homes in various parts of this province are being flooded with raw sewage.

Residents in desperate need of medical treatment are forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of beds. “Women and children have been forced to flee their homes in Randfontein due to threats from Zama-Zamas involved in illegal mining activity. “Schools are overcrowded, and thousands of learners missed the first few weeks of school because of placement issues,” he said.

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Msimanga said the province made haste to ensure that the G20 Leaders Summit, which was held in Johannesburg, was a success by making sure that the areas where diplomats were staying had proper service delivery. But he says service delivery has once again declined since the diplomats left the country. “Now that the fog has lifted, the true reality of decay and neglect is being reflected by the daily experiences of Gauteng residents. The issues I have highlighted are not new.

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