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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi pulled all stops for the G20 yet had no plans to sustain an uninterrupted water and electricity supply, keep the streets clean and fix roads post the event. This means that his government prioritised impressing the visitors while residents suffer. This is exactly what the Democratic Alliance (DA) said, which the Premier confirmed yesterday during his post-G20 press conference.

It is an insult to residents, as Lesufi confirms that the provincial government is unlikely to continue with pre-G20 service delivery standards after the summit.

This is despite his commitments earlier this year during the State of the Province Address (SOPA) to clean Johannesburg. His priorities were to fix potholes and ensure access to basic services such as water, electricity, and infrastructure. He has changed the tune, stating that he had to accelerate service delivery because this was the first G20 summit to be held on the continent and in our country and province.

This is an example of many empty promises, and Lesufi’s government cannot be trusted to deliver services. This government is only interested in boosting its own image while resident’s struggle.

Premier Lesufi states that some functions will require additional “budget to sustain” them. The DA demands to know how much it will cost to sustain such service delivery and how much was spent in preparation for the G20. We also need to know whether Gauteng has funds in reserve for the process.

The big question is what happened to all the service delivery commitments that Premier Lesufi made a grand announcement about during his SOPA, including cleaning up Johannesburg? Once again, the DA has been vindicated, as we said, Lesufi delivered empty promises; none will materialise.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure continuous service delivery. Our cities would be adequately maintained and fully operational; no vast additional expenditure would be needed to host an international event. In fact, if our cities were fully functional, we may well host many more landmark events.

Issued by Solly Msimanga MPL - DA Gauteng Leader of the Official Opposition