Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced that the severe water crisis affecting communities across the province is nearing its end, with infrastructure upgrades to receive additional supply from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project almost complete.
Lesufi made the announcement yesterday during his State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg, where he also issued an apology for mistakes made by his administration.
The address has drawn mixed reactions from analysts, who acknowledge the premier’s contrition but question whether it goes far enough to rebuild public trust.
Speaking on the address, Andile Stofile, Change Agent in Chief at the Leadership with a Soul Institute, described the apology as “definitely a step in the right direction.”
“Being candid, being honest, and acknowledging the mistakes that have happened is definitely a step in the right direction,” Stofile said. “But however, that’s only a quarter of the story. The rest of the three quarters is what are you doing about it and what are the commitments that you’re making and making sure that there’s accountability in the system.”
Stofile emphasized that while the premier addressed water infrastructure challenges, the government must recognize that water access is not a privilege but a constitutional right.
“If you look at section 27, it’s a constitutional right that guarantees everyone’s right to access water, food, etcetera, and the state is obligated to take reasonable steps to make sure they realize these rights,” he noted. “The state of decay has been happening progressively and it’s accelerating. We can’t at the last minute when the car’s broken down come now and say, ‘Oh no, but it’s the infrastructure.’ The infrastructure issues have been accumulating over the years.”
Stofile also criticized the length of the address, suggesting that a results-oriented speech could have been delivered in 45 minutes rather than two hours.
“If it’s results-orientated, we wouldn’t have a two-hour speech. It could have been done in 45 minutes where we are just focused clinically on these were the commitments from last year and these are the results,” he said. “There’s a lot of flowery language. Right now, what we are demanding as citizens is we want results. We don’t talk anymore, we actually want results.”
On crime prevention, Stofile called for a more integrated, intelligence-driven approach, suggesting that law enforcement should focus on the “20%” of criminal activity driving most offenses.
The premier’s address also touched on the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to assist with crime fighting, following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement earlier this month.
Stofile welcomed the commitments made but stressed that clear timelines and accountability measures are essential for rebuilding confidence in provincial governance.