ALAN FUCHS: Living in Lesufi-Land — the thriving Gauteng that exists only in his speeches

Recently, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi delivered his state of the province address with a smug air of confidence that many Gauteng residents found misplaced and insulting.

His speech painted a picture of a province on the rise, a government tackling corruption, fixing infrastructure and creating jobs. But for millions enduring power outages, dry taps, joblessness and rampant corruption, Lesufi’s words were far removed from reality.

The truth is that Gauteng is in crisis. While Lesufi boasts of grand plans and ambitious reforms, residents suffer under an administration defined by failure, waste and mismanagement.

Instead of addressing these harsh realities, the premier chose to deliver a work of fiction, a detached version of Gauteng that exists only in government corridors, not in the streets of Joburg, Ekurhuleni or Tshwane.

If Gauteng is improving, as Lesufi suggests, why does corruption still run rampant? Investigations into government fraud continue to expose shocking levels of malfeasance. One wonders why forensic reports have not been made publicly available to assure the citizenry that the government has nothing to hide.

The Gauteng health department remains a breeding ground for graft, with cases like the AngloGold Ashanti Hospital debacle, a project meant to cost R50m that ballooned to R588m due to dubious contracts.

In addition, the infamous Tembisa Hospital scandal resulted in the assassination of whistle-blower Babita Deokaran. Corruption thrives, and those responsible are not held to account.

Lesufi’s speech was full of commitments to fix infrastructure, yet residents know better. The water crisis in Joburg has reached dire levels, with suburbs going weeks without water. Instead of acknowledging years of neglect, officials blame sabotage or heatwaves.

Meanwhile, power cuts persist, exacerbated by a crumbling grid and failing municipalities. Gauteng’s once-functioning municipalities are in free fall. Joburg is financially unstable, with collapsing infrastructure and water shortages. Tshwane suffers from unreliable services.

Ekurhuleni faces power failures, wasteful spending and poor governance. These metros, under ANC control with hangers-on such as Action SA, Patriotic Alliance, and the EFF, struggle with inefficiency, directly affecting residents’ quality of life.

Gauteng finance MEC Lebogang Maile recently admitted that “We are losing money on all sides,” highlighting the deep-rooted corruption in government institutions.

He further stated that corruption is not just within one department but a systemic issue affecting multiple levels of governance, leading to billions being squandered.

The disconnect between Lesufi’s address and reality is staggering. He speaks of an ambitious vision for Gauteng, yet millions wake up each day to a different reality, one where they battle poverty, crime, unemployment and government incompetence. For many, hope is fading, and his speech did nothing to restore it.

Gauteng does not need another grand speech filled with empty promises. We need real leadership, real accountability, and real change. 

Lesufi may have delivered his state of the province address with swagger, but for the people of Gauteng actions, not words, are the true measure of leadership. And by that standard, he and his government are failing miserably.

• Fuchs, a Gauteng MPL, is a DA member of the province’s standing committee on public accounts.