‘The fight is far from over’: Lesufi acknowledges Gauteng crime, governance and service-delivery challenges
Lesufi: Gauteng making progress but major challenges remain
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has acknowledged both the progress and ongoing challenges faced by the Gauteng Provincial Government in crime, governance, and service delivery. While the province has seen a 3% decline in contact crime and recorded arrests and seizures of various contraband items, Lesufi noted that the fight against crime remains far from over, citing increases in attempted murder and assault-related crimes.
The government has also taken steps to tighten its focus on officials responsible for managing public resources, with over 3,600 officials submitting lifestyle-audit forms and 20 officials from specific departments referred to the Special Investigating Unit for further investigation. Furthermore, the province is addressing financial and water-related issues in municipalities, with progress in stabilising local government and achieving high expenditure rates on the Municipal Infrastructure Grant.
However, some municipalities continue to face financial pressure, and water disruptions persist in certain areas. Despite these challenges, Lesufi highlighted the province's investments in social infrastructure projects, totaling over R2 billion, as a positive development.
Brief written by urgent.news from IOL's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
