South Africa: Five Key Takeaways From Gauteng Premier Lesufi's Speech to a Tough Nasrec Crowd

20 February 2024
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
By Nonkululeko Njilo

Delivering his second State of the Province Address, Premier Panyaza Lesufi emphasised job creation and cracking down on crime. The e-toll debacle will be resolved within weeks, he claimed.

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi faced a tough crowd at the Nasrec Expo Centre in Johannesburg on Monday evening when he delivered his second State of the Province Address.

Shortly after he took to the podium to deliver his 37-page speech, Lesufi was interrupted by members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and a retaliation from those who appeared to be ANC members.

Members of the legislature hurled insults and heckled one other. Plastic water bottles were thrown.

At the heart of Lesufi's speech were crime prevention efforts and plans to make Gauteng an investment-friendly destination. Here are five key takeaways:

1. Crime wardens

A year ago, Lesufi announced the establishment of Crime Prevention Wardens (CPWs), also known as "amaPanyaza". Daily Maverick has reported that their training programme was poorly managed, carried out by people without the necessary competencies, and insufficient to equip them with the skills and knowledge needed to perform in a dangerous and difficult environment.

In his address, Lesufi came to the defence of the programme, saying that the wardens had been undergoing specialised training from the South African National Defence Force and were deployed alongside members of the SA Police Service and metro police at...

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