This is what Lesufi’s first 100 days really looked like: Decline, rudderless and serious allegations of corruption

31 October 2024

Panyaza Lesufi, Premier of Gauteng, attempted today during a media conference to create the impression that the first 100 days since he was re-elected as premier in June were successful and marked by progress in various areas. However, AfriForum’s evaluation of Lesufi’s performance so far points to the opposite and instead indicates deterioration and a complete lack of workable plans, while the cloud of a serious corruption scandal also hangs over his head. Considering this evaluation, AfriForum demands the premier’s immediate dismissal.

During today’s conference, Lesufi admitted, among other things, that water supply is a priority and that “Day Zero” is looming in the province. He argued that he and his administration are ready to face this crisis. However, the facts suggest that the premier is unable to effectively address the water supply disaster. Many experts, including AfriForum, have repeatedly warned about the growing crisis and made recommendations to avoid it, but Lesufi’s provincial government has so far taken no decisive action.

Meanwhile, the Auditor General’s (AG) latest report has also exposed widespread financial mismanagement, management failures, deterioration of infrastructure, and non-compliance with essential legislative requirements in Gauteng. Moreover, Lesufi’s failure to implement effective oversight mechanisms and his reluctance to demand accountability from municipalities have created a critical leadership vacuum at the municipal level.

In addition to these issues, in his first 100 days, Lesufi faced serious allegations of corruption. He is being accused of being a key figure in a massive cover-up of corruption, money laundering and fraud that has cost the provincial government hundreds of millions of rands. Earlier this month AfriForum’s private prosecution unit announced that it represents a whistleblower in this case and has been instructed to hold the implicated officials and their enablers, including politicians, criminally liable for this theft.

Furthermore, the Gauteng provincial administration under Lesufi’s supervision is on a downward spiral of irregular expenditure, which by the end of March this year had already reached R43,31 billion. Lesufi and his MECs will have to explain why they fail to implement accountability mechanisms, follow disciplinary processes, and carry out no consequence management. Furthermore, the Gauteng government has yet to issue the Fraud Detection Review Report for the fourth quarter of 2023/2024, a crucial report for identifying and eliminating corruption. This delay raises increasing concerns and criticism about transparency and accountability in this provincial government’s efforts to combat corruption. The previous report for the third quarter also did not appear on time.

Finally, the Gauteng Department of Community Safety, according to their annual report, awarded a tender amounting to R9,7 million for the delivery of just 124 pistols. According to AfriForum, this excessive spending amounts to approximately R78 000 per pistol – at least three times the price of a pistol with which law enforcement officers are generally equipped. The pistols in question are earmarked for the department’s law enforcement authorities, which include the province’s crime fighters, better known as the “amaPanyaza”. This unit, which was founded by Lesufi in 2023, has been shrouded in controversy from the outset, and the arming of these 6 000 crime prevention officers has already been labelled as highly irresponsible.

According to Ernst van Zyl, Head of Public Relations at AfriForum, Lesufi deserves the title of “specialist in failure” that the public has given him. “Lesufi is grasping at straws to find a glimmer of a success story in his administration’s first 100 days. However, the facts speak of 100 days of failures, no real action, and allegations of corruption. Lesufi has demonstrated in his first 100 days that he is much more focused on petty political games and social media posts than the much more pressing issues of corruption, mismanagement, or service delivery,” concludes Van Zyl.

AfriForum has started a petition where the public can demand Lesufi’s immediate dismissal. Visit www.lesufimoetwaai.co.za for more information.

Issued by Ernst van Zyl, Head: Public Relations, AfriForum, 31 October 2024