‘No new ideas, no innovation’: Parties poke holes in Lesufi’s plans

Opponents of Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi united as one in their criticism of his opening address given last week in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

The premier laid out his vision for the next five years and beyond, with rival party members on Tuesday having the opportunity to present counter arguments.

Focused on service delivery, opposition members listed the grievances that residents encounter in their daily lives, such as electricity, water, housing, roads and employment.

Calls to ‘build capable state’

Leader of the opposition in the GPL Solly Msimanga questioned why grand plans were being put in place when basic services across the province were not being addressed.

ALSO READ: WATCH: Panyaza Lesufi delivers his opening of the Gauteng legislature address

Using the example of Madala Hostel in Alexandra, which mirrors the living conditions of many Gauteng residents, Msimanga said rivers of faeces flowed alongside sleeping men who had nowhere else to go.

“I wouldn’t want the worst of my enemies to live in those spaces,” said Msimanga, noting R100 million had already been spent on improving the hostel.

Investment and jobs

He said a failure to invest in municipalities was among the province’s greatest blunders and urged national government to assist in plugging the gap in funding.

On jobs, Msimanga called for a structured programme aimed at identifying the employment needs of the province and the country.

“South Africans are becoming more and more unsuitable for the jobs they are studying for… [they] are studying for skills that are not required,” he said, adding that long term jobs were harder to find.

WATCH: The full debate as well as Premier Lesufi’s reply

Lesufi’s ‘word means nothing‘

Msimanga’s Democratic Alliance colleague Nazley Sharif was more direct with her assessment of Lesufi’s plans.

“Premier Lesufi offered nothing new. No new ideas, no innovation, but rather more rehashing of the same hyperbole with no clear plans on how they will be implemented,” she said.

Sharif touched on the 32 000 teaching assistants left abandoned by the Nasi iSpani programme.

“Your word means nothing. You keep selling false dreams,” said Sharif.

ALSO READ: Letters of fading dreams: Abandoned GDE teaching assistants make desperate appeal

Bold claims from smaller parties

The EFF’s Moses Koma described Lesufi’s previous tenure as “lost years”, while the MK party’s Bafana Mahlabe called the government of nation unity “concocted”.

Funzi Ngobeni, ActionSA’s candidate for premier in May, said Lesufi lacked actionable plans. He said there was “no roadmap” and stressed a need for fresh ideas.

Build One South Africa’s Ayanda Allie hit Lesufi with a venomous three minutes, calling him a liar who “should be ashamed of himself”.

In the verbal blitz, Allie declared, “You have been weighed, you have been measured, you have been found wanting.”

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