SOPA must focus on speeding up service delivery, creating employment opportunities and growing Gauteng economy

30 June 2019

Tomorrow, Gauteng Premier, David Makhura will deliver the State of the Province Address (SOPA) at the official opening of the Sixth Gauteng Provincial Legislature.

This takes place at a critical time as the province is facing serious challenges of unemployment, lack of service delivery, as well as high levels of crime and corruption.

Some of the province’s municipalities are financially crippled and are battling to deliver services to our people, let alone pay their employees’ salaries.

According to the Auditor General’s 2017/18 municipal report, Gauteng only registered 9 percent clean audits. DA-led Midvaal Local Municipality is the only municipality in the province that has sustained a clean audit outcome for five consecutive years.

It is deeply concerning that some of our municipalities are failing to obtain a clean audit outcomes due to the lack of financial accountability, maladministration and corruption.

Premier Makhura has been elected for office for the second time and we hope that he has learnt from the previous terms’ mistakes and will work to make things better for the people of Gauteng.

As the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislature we will fully support the Premier if he acts in the best interests of our people by fighting corruption and speeding up service delivery.

The DA’s expectations for the SOPA are as follows:

- Speeding up service delivery; improve access to quality healthcare, cut queues and waiting times at all provincial health care facilities and provincial institutions,

- Grow the Gauteng economy and attract more investment by revitalising and expanding industrial parks

- Create fair access to jobs and creating employment opportunities through promoting skills for jobs and apprenticeship

- Fight corruption

- Deal with the issue of safety in schools and maintenance of school infrastructure

- Reduce the housing backlog through building and handing over houses and title deeds to the rightful beneficiaries,

- Scrap e-tolls by launching an intergovernmental dispute.

If the SOPA addresses the above expectations, then together we will build One Gauteng for All. We will win the battle against unemployment, corruption, poor service delivery and poverty. We will grow Africa’s economic hub.

Issued by Solly Msimanga, DA Gauteng Caucus Leader, 30 June 2019