By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi announced a R2.7 billion investment in broadband and 5G connectivity towards enhancing Gauteng’s digital infrastructure.
Lesufi tabled his second SOPA speech at the Nasrec Expo Centre in the south of Johannesburg.
This initiative is designed to attract investors and support both new and existing businesses, positioning Gauteng as a leading digital hub in South Africa.
By improving access to high-speed internet and supporting the rollout of 5G technology, the Gauteng provincial government aims to spur economic growth and innovation in a rapidly evolving global digital landscape.
Lesufi said the investment in the Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN) will ultimately mean that small businesses, schools, and public institutions in Gauteng will no longer struggle for connectivity.
“We want to thank MTN and the institutions that are partnering with us,” he added.
“If you don’t know, the new economy is data. The new economy is Wi-Fi, and we are proud to as a province that we are leading on that particular front.”
“The broadband network is a step towards bridging the digital divide and greater accessibility to government services.”
The announcement came amidst chaotic scenes as members of the legislature threw bottles at each other.
It started when the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) caucus interrupted the premier’s speech on a point of order.
EFF legislature caucus leader Phillip Makwela said they were feeling unsafe due to the presence of the Gauteng Crime Prevention Wardens – which he referred to as Lesufi’s military army.
This then caused a confrontation between the EFF members and the Nasi Ispani beneficiaries who had to be separated by security before coming into blows.
The Speaker of the Legislature told the EFF that everyone at Nasrec was a guest. Calm was later restored, allowing Lesufi to continue with the business of the house.
Informal Settlements
Lesufi has also promised to eradicate Gauteng’s 700 informal settlements, saying the provincial government has bought land to address the issue.
The premier said plans were underway to upgrade almost 68 informal settlements into habitable housing.
We are accelerating our plans to decongest and relocate people from informal settlements to more habitable land.
“This includes the placement of people in the completed mega projects or other new housing developments, “he said.
According to Lesufi, they have provided more than 2,000 households from 20 informal settlements, with the security of tenure through relocation into completed mega projects.
In addition, 64 informal settlements were provided with rudimentary services, and 16 informal settlements were provided with bulk services.
Lesufi said formalising and upgrading of informal settlements into “township of the future” remained a key priority for the province to ensure that they were better places to live in.
Crime
“The government that I have the honour to lead has donated 245 to the SAPS so that each and every police in our province may not run out of motor vehicle to go fight crime,” said Lesufi.
The premier said they have persuaded the minister of police Bheki Cele to give Gauteng more police officers to fight crime.
Lesufi told the gathering that some 7000 CCTV cameras are now working to monitor crime.
“As part of our programme to revitalise our CBDs and rid them of crime, lawlessness and vandalism, we have identified Small Street in Johannesburg, as the first of many that require our immediate intervention.
“From now on, Small Street will be under 24-hour surveillance with CCTV strategically deployed along the area. We are putting up a permanent deployment of 350 law enforcement officers. When we get it right in Small Street we will surely succeed in other CBDs in the province,” he said.
Other crime hotspots which are also under surveillance include the George Goch, Jeppe, Denver, MBA hostel, Murray and Roberts, and Rethabile LTA hostels and selected high-risk schools identified by the Department of Education.
Job creation
“During this past year, Gauteng, as the country’s economic hub, experienced an increase of 96 300 jobs, with 31 300 jobs in the last 90 days,” Lesufi said.
“We are proud to declare that since the Covid-19 pandemic, our economy is now firmly back on track, and we are ready to pump our economy further.”
Lesufi revealed that Gauteng has attracted over R68-billion in investments from 261 foreign companies, resulting in about 23 000 direct jobs across 10 high-growth sectors.
Notably, Gauteng hosted the 5th South African Investment Conference, generating R1.14-trillion in investment commitments, with R22-billion earmarked for the province.
He emphasised the importance of economic development corridors and highlighted successes such as the Tshwane Automotive Special Economic Zone, where investments from companies like Ford Motor Company of South Africa have created over 3 000 jobs, with a significant portion sourced from the townships.
Moreover, partnerships with BMW and YFPO are expected to inject R2-billion into the economy, further advancing industrialisation and localisation efforts.
Lesufi welcomed the announcement of the Vaal Special Economic Zone, which is anticipated to attract more than R8-billion in investments focused on green economy initiatives.
Meanwhile ActionSA and the DA have accused Lesufi of failing to come up with “proper solutions” to the myriad of issues facing the province.
“Once again, the Premier has given us pipe dreams instead of proper solutions to the constant service delivery issues faced by residents on a daily basis,” said DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga.
“As expected, the economic corridors were at the top of the premier’s list. According to the premier, each of the corridors has attracted investors and created jobs. However, the reality on the ground is that many of the Special Economic Zones are not operating properly.
“Furthermore, he promised that small businesses would not struggle to access the internet; however, we tend to question this as the Gauteng Broadband Network (GBN) has not yet been fully rolled out across the province. Many residents still struggle to access the internet.”
ActionSA leader Funzi Ngobeni said millions have been wasted as the Crime Prevention Wardens, commonly known as AmaPanyaza, are being paid to listen to a speech rather than fighting crime.
“The premier is misguided if he believes that ActionSA is against the government’s creation of jobs for the youth. We, however, maintain that any efforts to fight crime and create employment should be done within the confines of the law.
“We further demand that the wardens be pulled from the streets to receive adequate training from accredited institutions while drawing from the thousands of skilled SAPS reservists with years of experience.
“These upcoming elections offer us a real chance of unseating the uncaring current government and charting a new path of prosperity for our great province.”
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Video Courtesy of GPG.