AfriForum Calls for Lesufi’s Dismissal to Avert Looming Gauteng Water Crisis

AfriForum, the proactive civil rights organization, has raised an alarm over the imminent water crisis threatening the province of Gauteng, South Africa's economic powerhouse. The organization squarely blames this dire situation on the incompetence and inaction of the provincial leadership under Premier Panyaza Lesufi. It insists that for Gonzalo to skirt a disaster akin to Cape Town's "Day Zero," national intervention is crucial, starting with the removal of Lesufi from office.

The latest report from the Auditor General (AG) throws Gauteng's municipal management into sharp relief, presenting a bleak landscape marred by financial mismanagement, flagrant governance failures, and widespread infrastructural decay. According to the AG's findings, a staggering 80% of local entities in Gauteng failed to earn clean audits, accentuating the prevalence of non-compliance with vital legislative standards.

Morné Mostert, who leads AfriForum's Local Government Affairs, points out that the constitution empowers the provincial government to intercede when municipalities fall short on their mandate to serve the public. However, despite ongoing Section 139 interventions in municipalities like Emfuleni, West Rand, and Merafong, marked improvements are yet to materialize, casting a shadow over Lesufi’s capabilities to inspire positive change.

Emfuleni Local Municipality tells a story of a failed intervention initiated in 2018. Citizens grapple with inconsistent water supply, menacing potholes, and erratic refuse collection. Additionally, the municipality's egregious debt to power utility Eskom climbs beyond R8 billion amid prevailing corruption.

The predicament in Merafong Local Municipality mirrors this gloom, with over five years under administration and the AG's report chastising its poor performance. Urgent corrective measures, accountability, and prioritized service delivery are deemed crucial.

Mostert raises a red flag over Lesufi’s lack of robust oversight and resistance to holding municipalities accountable, fostering a perilous leadership void. Mounting infrastructure woes, derailed projects, and only a 8% investment in asset maintenance, against Treasury's guidelines, mark a territory teetering on the edge.

The grim forecast illustrates a Gauteng pushed to the precipice by a leadership deficit, where fundamental services such as water and sanitation hang in jeopardy. Lacking a coherent strategy to rectify systemic municipal ailments, the specter of catastrophe looms large.