Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi will be in the spotlight tonight as he delivers his State of the Province Address. His tenure has been marked by persistent issues with crime and unemployment, with opposition parties accusing him of failing to make meaningful progress and letting the province deteriorate.

Listen to this article 6 min Listen to this article 6 min As Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi prepares to deliver his fourth State of the Province Address, he faces the challenging task of earning the trust of the province's millions of residents amid high unemployment, rising crime, and a water crisis, among other issues as residents and opposition parties question whether he has delivered on past promises.

In his 2023 State of Province Address, Lesufi said, "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."

He was speaking about what remains the province's thorniest issue -- crime. In the same address, he announced plans to ramp up the crime-fighting budget from R750-million to "billions" over the next three years. He promised to introduce advanced CCTV with face and car recognition, e-Panic buttons, and a state-of-the-art Integrated Command Centre. He also announced two new helicopters to launch in the next financial year, with four more added in 2023/2024.

In 2024, Lesufi made bold promises to tackle unemployment by creating thousands of job opportunities. The promise came after June 2023,...