Note to Editors: The below speech was delivered by the DA Gauteng Premier Candidate, Solly Msimanga MPL, during the Freedom Day Rally at Solomon Mahlangu Square in Tshwane.
As Gauteng residents commemorate 30 years of democracy on this Freedom Day, we reflect not only on the progress made since the watershed elections in 1994 but also on the lingering policy failures, broken promises, and corruption that have hindered the quality of life under the ANC government.
All Gauteng residents who cast their votes on 27 April 1994 with the hope of a better tomorrow could never have imagined that life under the ANC leadership would be filled with so much hardship and despair. The province is limping from one crisis to another, and the current government has no solutions.
Annual inflation as measured by consumer prices was 5.6% in February 2024, up from 5.3% the month before. The cost of essential ingredients for preparing nutritious meals, such as milk, eggs, cheese, vegetables, bread, and meat, has been rising well above the official inflation rate for years. This rise in food prices has strained household budgets in South Africa, particularly in Gauteng, where food insecurity is a serious problem. All hope is not lost, as the DA has a plan to boost economic confidence through better provincial governance and attract investments. This will lead to more jobs and opportunities to reduce inflation.
Furthermore, unemployment in Gauteng is at its highest, with the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, showing that the province had a 33.8% unemployment rate, which is higher than the country’s average and translates into 2.6 million unemployed people and more than 500 000 discouraged work-seekers. These numbers reveal a significant unemployment crisis in the province, especially among young people. Only the DA can rescue Gauteng from unemployment by forging stronger partnerships between the provincial government and the private sector. This collaboration will stimulate economic growth, attract investment, and ultimately create more jobs, alleviate poverty, and reduce dependence on state grants.
The housing crisis persists in Gauteng, with many still living in inadequate conditions despite promises of improved housing opportunities. The Gauteng Human Settlements Department can only build 10 000 houses a year, while the provincial housing backlog stands at more than 1.2 million. The less said about the deplorable condition in which hostel residents live, the better. The Gauteng provincial government’s toothless approach to protecting infrastructure projects from vandalism and highjackings exacerbates this problem. The DA will conduct a forensic audit of the housing waiting list and ensure that only the rightful beneficiaries are allocated housing. We will prioritise completing all unfinished housing projects.
The Gauteng healthcare system faces several challenges, including supply chain issues, infrastructure and maintenance, occupational health and safety hazards, and poor management. These issues have contributed to delays in patient care, unpaid suppliers, and poor allocation of funding for health services. By April 2023, the department owed R4 billion to more than 42 000 service providers. As a result, patient care, equipment, and supply purchases are negatively impacted. The DA will improve the healthcare system in Gauteng by ensuring efficient hospital and clinic operations by empowering staff and all officials to be patient-oriented so residents can receive healthcare of high quality.
The province’s crime statistics repeatedly show that Gauteng has a concerning crime problem. More than 1 700 people were murdered in Gauteng between October and December last year. Despite this, Gauteng has only 143 police stations to ensure the safety of over 16 million residents. Police stations are understaffed, underresourced, and poorly maintained in some areas.
In addition, the ANC’s government in Gauteng continues to be synonymous with corruption, financial mismanagement, and a lack of accountability. In the 2022/23 financial year, Gauteng incurred irregular expenditures amounting to R5.7 billion, which were largely the result of deviations from normal procurement processes. The Life Esidimeni tragedy, Covid-19 procurement fraud, and the ruthless assassination of corruption whistle-blower Babita Deokaran.
The DA is committed to rescuing Gauteng from 30 years of corruption, cadre deployment, maladministration, unemployment, poverty, inflation, and a poor healthcare system and ensuring residents’ safety. Through our experience in governance, we will replicate good governance and accountability so that Gauteng residents can enjoy the fruits of democracy. The countdown to ending the nightmare and reviving the 1994 dream starts now. We are only 31 days to rebuilding a Gauteng and a South Africa that we can all prosper and one day be proud to hand over to those who will follow us.