Gauteng SOPA: Premier Panyaza Lesufi addresses water shortages and service improvements

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has apologised to residents over the continuing water shortage in some parts of the province - but stopped short of saying the government was responsible.

In his first comments while delivering his State of the Province Address (SOPA) in Pretoria on Monday, Lesufi said this was unacceptable, calling for accountability.

“We can’t claim to be a smart province, and we still subject our people to this Stone Age problem,” he said.

Water supply cuts continue to frustrate people in large parts of Johannesburg. In some areas, taps have gone dry for weeks.

Many blamed the Rand Water, City of Johannesburg (CoJ) and City Power for their failure to meet the water demand.

Although this issue falls outside the competency of the provincial government, Lesufi stated that they, in collaboration with the national government and municipalities, have made a significant decision to permit City Power to assume control of the electricity supply at the Eikenhof pumping station, while Eskom will take over the Emfuleni pumping station to restore power immediately

“It is the power failures in these water pumping stations that have led to the challenges of depletion of water in our reservoirs.

“We are at an advanced stage of repairing leaks and replacing aging pipes. Since this intervention, water is gradually coming back to our homes,” he said.

Lesufi said Gauteng municipalities were preparing to receive a large water supply from the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, set for completion in 2028.

In his address, the premier identified what described as 13 Gauteng problems and said if they did not solve them then they would be failing the people.

These included water, cable theft and vandalism, non-functional traffic lights, potholes, crime and lawlessness, mushrooming of informal settlements, electricity in particular load shedding and load reduction in the communities, increase in gender-based violence and femicide, drug abuse, service at our hospitals and clinics, lack of schools, failing infrastructure and CBDs and unemployment.

“We have to reverse the impact of these G13 problems if we are worthy of being called government,” he said.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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