Billions on the table: Inside Lesufi’s big promises for Gauteng

If numbers alone could fix potholes, fill reservoirs and create jobs, Gauteng would be thriving by tomorrow morning.

That was the feeling inside the legislature on Monday night as Premier Panyaza Lesufi delivered his 2026 State of the Province Address (Sopa), a speech heavy with figures, forecasts and firm pledges.

From water infrastructure to mega industrial projects, Lesufi painted a picture of a province on the cusp of renewal. But outside the chamber, residents scrolling through load-shedding updates and water outage notices were asking a simpler question: when will these billions translate into change on the ground?

Gauteng by the numbers

Let’s start with the scale of the challenge.

According to Statistics South Africa, Gauteng is home to roughly 16 million people. Lesufi said 5.24 million of them are employed, adding that the province accounted for about 70% of all new jobs created nationally over the past year.

He also revealed that R27 billion in foreign direct investment had been secured, funding that he believes will stimulate sectors like construction, finance and community services.

On crime, Lesufi cited progress:

• 392 alleged crime kingpins identified last year

• 101 arrested

• 26 suspects killed in shootouts with police

• 11 cash-in-transit kingpins arrested

He linked these actions to a 7.8% drop in property crime, an 11% decline in murders and an 8% decrease in sexual offences.

Supporters applauded. Critics, however, pointed out that residents in many communities still feel unsafe walking home after dark.

R760 million for water, and emergency fixes

Water shortages have become a political flashpoint in Johannesburg, especially in fast-growing areas like Midrand.

Lesufi pledged R760 million toward water infrastructure in the city. He attributed recent shortages to an explosion at a Rand Water plant, saying authorities went into “emergency mode” to stabilise supply.

A new reservoir and tower in Brixton is expected to come online this weekend, with an emergency pumping station to follow. A permanent solution a 5km pipeline is scheduled for completion by year-end.

For residents who have grown used to storing water in buckets and JoJo tanks, the proof will be in whether taps flow consistently come winter.

Housing targets and youth deployment

On housing, the Premier said nearly 7,000 units had been built this financial year, alongside the release of 3,600 serviced stands. The 2026 target is 8,644 new homes.

He also unveiled 500 young people part of a planned 2,500-strong workforce who will be deployed to repair broken taps, fix public toilets and repaint neglected public spaces.

It’s a practical move in a province where vandalised infrastructure and maintenance backlogs often undermine bigger development goals.

The big-ticket investments

Much of the buzz around the speech centred on large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects.

Lesufi said R73 billion from last year’s investment conference is now shifting “from commitment to implementation”, with the potential to create 114,000 jobs.

Among the confirmed or ongoing projects:

• A R7 billion waste-to-energy project in Johannesburg backed by Dutch partners

• A R5.4 billion data centre expansion near Midrand funded by Microsoft

• A R2.5 billion expansion by a Chinese steel manufacturer

• A R1.9 billion investment by Heineken Global in Midvaal

• A deal involving Nissan and Chery to preserve 700 jobs in Rosslyn

• Haier-Kwikot’s R2.4 billion investment in Benoni securing 700 jobs

Then there are the proposals still in the pipeline: a new steel plant in Lesedi, the ambitious Gauteng Dry Port projected to create 50,000 jobs, a film studio at the Lanseria Smart City site, and multiple Special Economic Zones valued at over R35 billion.

Lesufi also revealed that 30 companies have expressed interest in financing a future high-speed rail link between Gauteng and Limpopo, alongside a new concessionaire model for the Gautrain.

In total, he believes these initiatives could generate up to 250,000 jobs, particularly for young people.

Opposition: “We cannot live on promises”

Not everyone was convinced.

Solly Msimanga, leader of the Democratic Alliance in Gauteng, argued that unemployment remains stubbornly high at 33% and that residents have heard similar commitments before.

“People cannot live on promises and apologies,” he said, suggesting the Premier should prioritise fixing struggling industrial zones rather than launching new ones.

It’s a criticism that resonates with business owners in areas where factories stand half-empty and infrastructure maintenance lags behind grand announcements.

A province at a crossroads

Gauteng has always been South Africa’s economic engine, the place where people arrive with ambition and leave with opportunity. But in recent years, service delivery failures, crime and infrastructure strain have tested that reputation.

Lesufi ended his speech by saying he should be judged on results, not rhetoric.

Whether these billions reshape Gauteng’s reality or remain impressive line items on paper will determine how history remembers this Sopa.

For now, the numbers are bold. The expectations are even bigger.

{Source: The Citizen}

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