Gauteng pumps millions into water infrastructure as Premier Lesufi vows to restore supply, create jobs, and tackle service delivery challenges. Picture Credit: Inside Metros
By Ndivhuwo Mukwevho
Gauteng – After residents spent days without any form of running water supply in several parts of Gauteng Province earlier this year after an unexpected huge explosion at the Rand Water Plant, several millions have been put aside to address the issues by Primier Panyaza Lesufi.
During the State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday this week, Lesufi announced that his government has put aside R760 Million to address water issues, which range from water infrastructure upgrade.
“Construction of a new ground reservoir and a tower in Brixton is underway and will go live by this Saturday to improve the supply. In response to this crisis, we built emergency boosting pumping station which will go live next week, to ensure that these areas are covered with water,” said Lesufi.
Lesufi further said that permanent solution will be realised once the construction of the 5km pipeline is concluded at the end of the year.
“Furthermore, the national government is assisting us in realising the return on investment made, so that the people of Hammanskraal, Bronkhorspruit, Kokosi, Fochville, Kwa-Thema and other areas can have their dignity restored,” said Lesufi.
Lesufi also promised Gauteng residents that his government will continue to create jobs in order to keep up with the rising living conditions.
“As the economic heartland of our country, Gauteng should never be allowed to stop beating, for the consequences would be too dire for all of us. Our approach to economic growth is firmly grounded in the reindustrialisation of Gauteng and the deliberate inclusion of township and local enterprises in the mainstream economy,” said Lesufi.
According to Lesufi towards the end of 2025, South Africa’s labour market showed modest improvement with national employment rising by almost a quarter million due to growth in the infrastructure and service sectors.
“Our province outperformed the national trend, reaching a record 5.24 million employed and accounting to nearly 70% of national job gains over the past year, with growth strongest in construction, finance, community and social services,” said Lesufi.
Lesufi says that though he is happy with the quality of healthcare workers which they have in the province, he remain concerned about the long queues and continued use of manual paperwork within public health facilities in Gauteng.
“It is generally known that our public hospitals have the best talent in terms of doctors, specialists and healthcare professionals. The problems we have in our hospitals are long ques, manual paperwork, old infrastructure and overcrowding. It’s within this context that we have undertaken the following initiatives,” said Lesufi.
Lesufi concluded by stating that the SOPA address puts the huge responsibility on the shoulders of those in charge. But opposition parties are not entirely moved by Lesufi speech as they want more.
EFF Gauteng Member of Parliament, Nkululeko Dunga said that more than anything the premier used the platform to make his ANC comrades happy within the structures of all his municipalities.
“He over glorified, I mean how would you speak of Sedibeng and not equate the issue of service delivery. The people of Sedibeng are marred with potholes; there is no waste collection, sewage spillages everywhere,” said Dunga.
Dunga also stated that the premier failed to deliver on his last year promise of new schools.
“Last year he made a commitment of 18 schools, but he only spoke of only two schools that he could have opened. With Gauteng having a backlog of 2500 classrooms, two schools do have a meaningless impact particularly to the people that he would want to elevate, which are people in the townships,” said Dunga.
Dapheny Woodworth from Kliptown says she is happy with the premier’s speech but she is worried about the high rate of unemployment in Gauteng and the rest of the country.
“I am really excited about what I have heard about a number of issues, such as water, job creation,” said Woodworth. “But for some of us who live in rural areas and experience services deliver woes daily such as water and sanitation water and unemployment more still needs to be done, because that is how rate of crime keep on growing,”
