By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi outlined the province’s key milestones in combatting crime, healthcare, finance and infrastructure development.
Lesufi addressed a media briefing on Wednesday morning on the provincial government’s programme of action.
He pointed to a measured 3.0% decline in contact crimes during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.
However, the crime stats release comes as the province was rocked by the discovery of the bodies of eight women in separate incidents across Ekurhuleni.
Lesufi said police visibility is being stepped up with areas in and around Kempton Park being placed on lockdown.
He said identifying the women was an urgent priority to provide their families with answers and closure.
“We have committed ourselves that the six unidentified women will release resources to trace their relatives or families so that they can be in a position to have closure,” Lesufi said.
He said authorities were hopeful that investigators were close to making a breakthrough.
“We remain hopeful, on the basis of the information provided to us by the investigators, that a breakthrough is imminent,” he said.
Lesufi also defended the decision to impose a lockdown in parts of Kempton Park from Thursday, saying it would help authorities protect residents and follow up on investigative leads.
“We will be in a position to ensure that people in that area are safe, but most importantly, we will follow the leads and the information that has been provided to us thus far,” he said.
The developments come as police continue investigating the deaths and whether there is any connection between the cases.
Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia said a high-level, multidisciplinary team had been established.
This team is set to investigate the murders, and the minister assured families that the cases would receive sustained attention from law enforcement. “The team is in place, and I can give you the assurance, based on past experience, that when it comes to such situations, the South African Police Service has the experience, the high-level expertise, to investigate cases of this kind,” Cachalia said.
The developments have triggered a major policing response, and Cachalia said Operation Shanela would be “massively expanded” in Kempton Park and surrounding areas.
“The police will lock down this area in the coming weeks. The community will see the presence of the South African Police Service, and we will mobilise all necessary law enforcement capabilities, working with our communities,” he said.
Police have also offered a R400,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of the person or people responsible for the killings.
Healthcare
Lesufi said Gauteng was leading the country in the rollout of the HIV prevention programme, with 24 390 new Lenacapavir initiations recorded at pilot sites.
The Premier said the province had committed in its State of the Province Address to being the first province to roll out the prevention option to people who want to reduce their risk of acquiring HIV.
Lesufi added that the positive response at the pilot sites encouraged the provincial government to expand the programme to additional sites.
“We committed in the State of the Province Address that we want to be the first province to roll out the vaccine so that those who want to prevent HIV/AIDS can get access to this vaccine.”
The Premier said expanding access to HIV prevention is also important for Gauteng’s economy, given the province’s position as the country’s economic hub.
Governance
Lesufi confirmed that lifestyle audits targeting Supply Chain Management and Finance officials are well underway.
“The audits are presently underway, with a total of 3671 officials having submitted their lifestyle audit forms. The reports for the Office of the Premier and Gauteng COGTA [Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs] have been finalised.”
“I have requested that the SIU [Special Investigating Unit] conduct a comprehensive forensic investigation into the lifestyles of 14 officials from the Office of the Premier [eight officials rated as high risk and six as medium risk] and six officials from Gauteng COGTA [two officials rated as high risk and four as medium risk.”
“In total, 20 officials from both OOP [Office of the Premier] and Gauteng COGTA have been referred for further investigation,” the Premier said.
Addressing infrastructural upgrades, the Premier confirmed that negotiations for a new Gautrain concessionaire have successfully concluded.
“National Treasury has granted all the necessary approvals for the project to reach financial close. This will allow the new concessionaire to start operations on 28 September 2026.”
“This is a very exciting phase for the province. New investments in the Gautrain will enable expanded operating hours, expanded taxi routes for feeder services, upgrades to infrastructure at various stations, additional new trainsets, and the introduction of renewable energy.”
Lesufi acknowledged that while challenges remain, the province is actively tackling these issues through coordinated efforts and “strict accountability measures.”