RATE IT | Lesufi outlines plans to fight rising crime levels in Gauteng

While many politicians like to shift the responsibility for fighting crime to the justice cluster, Gauteng premier Panyaza Lesufi has vowed to fight rising crime levels. 

“Our province is a home of heartless and merciless criminals. They do as they wish. If this situation is left unattended it will be the end of all of us,” Lesufi said in his first state of the province address on Monday.

Lesufi said the provincial government has increased its budget for fighting crime from R750m to “multibillion-rands” in the next three years. The exact figure was not stipulated.  

Elimination of illegal dealing in guns was crucial in the fight against increasing crime levels, he said. 

“Those with illegal guns are playing god. They decide who lives and who dies. Together with the private security industry, we have found a solution that will assist in tracking stolen guns and locating them wherever they are in our country,” he said. 

State of informal settlements and hostels  

“The freedom we fought for will remain meaningless if our townships, informal settlements and hostels remain in squalor with sewage flowing freely together with uncollected garbage,” Lesufi said as he promised change. 

He said government would change townships, informal settlements and hostels into better and respectable places to live. 

“As government we own six hostels in Gauteng, namely George Goch, Denver, Jeppe, MBA, Murray and Roberts and LTA Rethabile. We are converting hostels into liveable spaces and we are rolling out services to them.

“We are intervening in 731 informal settlements in our province. We have mapped and enumerated 639 and we are upgrading 179 informal settlements with a budget of R3.1bn.

“We are empowering aboMastandi to be in the real estate industry. I am pleased to announce 2,000 applications have been validated for funding for aboMastandi and 40 loans have been approved to the tune of R50m, which has the potential to create employment.” 

Addressing overcrowding in state schools  

Lesufi told the provincial legislature members the education system could collapse if nothing is done to address overcrowding in state schools, which is worsened by high levels of “in-migration”. 

“Addressing this issue and learning from the experience of unplaced pupils in grades 1 and 8, Gauteng has budgeted R6bn from our provincial coffers to build new schools in high pressure communities.  

“We have received a major boost of R1.5bn from National Treasury to finally demolish mobile and asbestos schools. We will build 18 new schools in Gauteng.” 

Scrapping E-tolls 

Government has not finalised debt repayment of the controversial E-tolls.

“Residents of Gauteng, we are pleased to report E-tolls have been scrapped,” Lesufi said.  

He said the provincial government, the ministry of finance and of transport would make a joint announcement on E-tolls after this is finalised.

“Together with the national government we are on the verge of agreeing on all matters that will finally allow us to gazette switching off the gantries. Matters related to debt repayment and the money collected from paying customers and funds not collected from non-paying customers.” 

Building new hospitals

The premier said the provincial government was fast-tracking an application with National Treasury to provide a health infrastructure budget in advance to rehabilitate and build new hospitals.

He said building new infrastructure was earmarked for areas such as Olievenhoutbosch, Diepsloot, Daveyton, Orange Farm and other townships. 

“In the new financial year, we would have completed and operationalised six new clinics that will bring much-needed services to the people of Hammanskraal, Daveyton, Soshanguve and Sebokeng.” 

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