Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi outlines 13 key priorities to get province working
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced 13 key priorities aimed at addressing the province's most pressing challenges and getting Gauteng working.
Lesufi emphasised that resolving these issues is crucial for the government to effectively serve its people.
He was speaking at the State of the Province Address in Pretoria on Monday night.
"Our Gauteng 13 problems are the following: water, cable theft and vandalism, non-functional traffic lights, potholes, crime and lawlessness, mushrooming of informal settlements, electricity, particularly load shedding and load reduction, increase in Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, drug abuse, service at our hospitals and clinics, lack of schools, failing infrastructure and CBDs, and unemployment," Lesufi said.
Lesufi stressed that the government must reverse the impact of these challenges to justify its existence.
"We have to reverse the impact of these G13 problems if we are worthy of being called a government," he said.
Despite these challenges, Lesufi highlighted Gauteng's economic resilience, noting that the province maintained a 2.4% growth rate post-COVID, outperforming the national average.
"Gauteng's economy continued to demonstrate resilience, significantly outperforming the national average despite a fragile economic environment," Lesufi said.
To sustain economic growth, Lesufi announced plans to host the inaugural Gauteng Investment Conference on April 3-4, 2025, aiming to secure R800 billion in new investment pledges over the next three years.
"The next chapter of growth is unfolding, and we invite the world to be part of it," Lesufi said.
Lesufi also highlighted a groundbreaking agreement with the Hunan Province in China, set to open new trade avenues for small businesses in Gauteng.
"This partnership is a game-changer for our small businesses, which will soon expand their operations, create more jobs, and contribute to the growth of our economy," Lesufi said.
mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za