By Thapelo Molefe
The Democratic Alliance (DA) and ActionSA have criticised Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi for declaring the province ready to host the G20 Summit, accusing his government of using the event to hide ongoing service delivery failures.
Lesufi said on Tuesday that Gauteng had made “significant progress” in infrastructure and safety ahead of the summit, a claim reinforced by a departmental statement outlining road upgrades and beautification projects.
However, the opposition parties dismissed these improvements as superficial and temporary, driven only by the upcoming international event.
DA’s Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga said the government’s sudden activity raised questions about its priorities.
“The questions we should rather be posing to the department are: why they were not moving in this manner since the announcement of the G20, and what the sustainability plan is beyond the summit,” Msimanga told this publication on Wednesday.
“Are they going to keep the same people employed, and if so, how will they pay them? Where will the funding come from to sustain these projects?”
Msimanga said claims of significant progress were misleading.
“Gauteng has only managed minimal cosmetic upgrades that varnish over the disrepair the province continues to face,” he said.
“There have been selective improvements, but they are largely confined to key suburbs and major routes that G20 delegates will frequent. Meanwhile, the rest of the province continues to suffer from incomplete and neglected projects.”
He added that residents outside the targeted G20 areas continued to face deteriorating road conditions.
“Potholes and dilapidated roads remain pervasive throughout Gauteng,” Msimanga said.
“This is a blatant PR exercise aimed at creating as much pomp and ceremony as possible. Government seems more concerned with how South Africa will be viewed internationally than with the daily experiences of its own citizens.”
ActionSA echoed similar sentiments, saying the provincial government was using the G20 to stage-manage temporary improvements.
“ActionSA welcomes any effort to improve infrastructure, but we reject the claim that ‘significant progress’ has been made,” the party said.
“Our oversight work consistently shows maintenance backlogs, non-functional traffic lights, and neglected intersections across municipalities.”
The party said the sudden burst of activity reflected “event-driven clean-ups” rather than genuine service delivery.
“If the provincial government can mobilise resources for the G20, it shows capacity exists but the political will to act has long rested in its grave,” ActionSA said.
“We have seen this pattern before, visible areas get attention before major events, while the rest of Gauteng continues to deteriorate.”
ActionSA also dismissed the province’s claims of intergovernmental collaboration, saying poor coordination between municipalities and the province had enabled “waste, vandalism, and blame-shifting” to persist.
“If this collaboration was truly effective, we wouldn’t be witnessing the daily collapse of infrastructure,” the party said.
“The G20 readiness narrative is a public relations exercise aimed at masking years of failure.”
The party concluded that Gauteng’s road network was in a “state of managed decline” and that real progress required accountability, transparent procurement, and performance-based maintenance contracts.
“Real service delivery is not about impressing G20 delegates for one week; it’s about ensuring that every South African drives on safe, functional roads every day,” ActionSA said.
Government maintains improvements are genuine
Despite the criticism, the Gauteng government insists that the improvements being implemented are part of a long-term infrastructure renewal plan.
Lesufi has said that preparations for the G20 have “accelerated ongoing programmes” to modernise the province’s transport network and that residents will benefit long after the summit ends.
However, opposition parties remain unconvinced, warning that unless the same urgency is applied beyond the global spotlight, Gauteng’s roads will soon return to their neglected state.
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