While Maile plans R200bn airport, basic services in Sedibeng remain grounded

Gauteng finance and economic development MEC Lebogang Maile has revealed plans for a new airport in the Sedibeng district as part of a R200bn infrastructure investment.

“We've got a new airport coming in Sedibeng which will see, I think, investment of anything between R20bn and R200bn from the private sector. In fact, it's about R200bn, and we will be working with DTIC [department of trade, industry & competition] investing in bulk for that project,” Maile said in an interview with the SABC.

While these developments are hailed as a step towards economic progress, not everyone is convinced by the focus on large-scale infrastructure projects, particularly in light of the region's ongoing service delivery challenges.

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) expressed frustration over the province's priorities.

“No water, no electricity for days in Joburg, traffic lights not working, highways without lights for kilometres, bridges not safe, reservoirs cracked. Not to mention Ekurhuleni and Tshwane and other parts of Gauteng. But hey, a new airport to look forward to and a high-speed train to Limpopo. Such visionary leadership,” it said on X.

Local concerns about the airport project were also voiced by Sedibeng residents.

Koena Morake questioned the practicality of the airport: “I struggle to find business sense in the airport thing. I can't imagine a person who an airport in the Vaal would better the life of.”

Other residents like Pandelani Nedambale took to Facebook suggesting the public's resistance to such development projects stems from a lack of understanding about the long-term benefits they might bring.

“People need jobs, but when jobs are created, some who are working think it is a waste. We need to understand development,” Nedambale wrote.

Avril Mills Meaker expressed doubts about the project, criticising it as a potential misuse of taxpayer funds.

“Health care and education are having their budgets cut at the expense of the citizens and service delivery is virtually non-existent,” Meaker said.

DA Emfuleni North constituency head Kingsol Chabalala noted the community was grappling with poor road conditions and sanitation issues.

“The residents of Sedibeng do not have access to tarred roads, and some of the roads that are tarred are full of potholes as there is no proper regular maintenance of roads. There is also a lack of proper sanitation as raw sewage is flowing all over the streets from the main sewer system because the municipality has failed to maintain the sewer pipes,” Chabalala said.

The airport development is not the only issue facing the Sedibeng region. The Gauteng legislature has been embroiled in a controversy involving the mayor of Sedibeng, Lerato Maloka, and her alleged refusal to use a new Mercedes-Benz vehicle purchased for her official use.

The car, worth almost R700,000, was bought in compliance with national procurement regulations, according to Maile, but Maloka has raised concerns about the procurement process.

The mayor’s spokesperson Saviour Kgaswane said Maloka was not rejecting the car outright but was waiting for irregularities in the procurement process to be addressed.

“Until such issues are addressed, she has elected to continue using the vehicle that was used by her predecessor,” Kgaswane said.

The debate continued on social media:

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