By Akani Nkuna
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng wants the provincial government to introduce public performance agreements for the Premier and all MECs, saying this will allow clearer tracking of service delivery targets and strengthen accountability.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga made the call while addressing media in Bruma, Johannesburg, on Thursday, at the DA’s “True State of the Province Address”.
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Premier Panyaza Lesufi is expected to deliver his official State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Monday.
“The DA Gauteng has a plan that can fix this province. Be warned, though, this is not a quick-fix solution but one that will take years of hard work, dedication, and a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, criminal activities, and appointment of councillors, officials, MECs who are only in government to enrich themselves,” Msimanga said.
“We would immediately have all government officials, including the Premier and MECs, sign a performance agreement that will be made public, and that will set out strict guidelines on how and when targets need to be met,” he said.
Msimanga said the DA has an infrastructure master plan to address deteriorating infrastructure across municipalities, which will be backed by public-private partnerships to speed up delivery and reduce pressure on state capacity.
He said that criminal activity in the province, including cable theft and vandalism, were a major strain on service delivery, and Gauteng has lagged in deploying effective technology to combat it.
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He referenced Lesufi’s 2025 SOPA, in which the Premier promised to install “tech logs” as part of efforts to curb cable theft.
“Despite this promise, cable theft continues, leaving areas like the Johannesburg CBD without electricity for weeks, and technicians dispatched to fix the issue are vulnerable to attacks,” Msimanga said.
On health in the province, Msimanga called for investigations into procurement processes at Tembisa Hospital, where the Special Investigating Unit has previously reported extensive corruption of at least R2 billion linked to funds meant for healthcare.
He also accused the provincial government of shielding individuals implicated in alleged financial misconduct, including former Gauteng Department of Roads and Transport head Ronald Swartz, who the DA has opened a criminal case against over the alleged misuse of funds linked to a bus subsidy.
Msimanga also referenced the DA’s prior criminal complaint against former Gauteng Health chief financial officer Lerato Madyo, linked to the alleged corruption at Tembisa Hospital, and said a lack of progress in the matter was “appalling”.
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He said that continued instability and mismanagement were placing the health system under strain, including in oncology services.
“Thousands of cancer patients in Gauteng have suffered long biopsy delays, causing huge anxiety for patients whose survival chances depend on the outcome,” Msimanga said.
“In addition, doctors are unable to start with urgent treatment when patients don’t receive speedy biopsies. Worse still, the Premier has failed to remove the Gauteng MEC for Health [despite this].”
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