Solly Msimanga|Published
Residents, workers and business owners in Johannesburg’s CBD face the daily consequences of urban decay, unsafe streets and deteriorating infrastructure.
Yet, after years of promises to revitalise the inner city, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has announced a “mandate” to raise R16 billion for its long-overdue overhaul.
In light of Lesufi’s record of costly and controversial initiatives, including the R8 billion programme to refurbish 18 government-owned buildings in over 30 months, the troubled Nasi iSpani initiative and the Gauteng Airwing controversy, the Democratic Alliance (DA) questions whether this latest R16 billion mandate is about genuine CBD revitalisation or political grandstanding ahead of the election.
Residents should be wary of another grand announcement without evidence of progress on previous plans. Before asking the public to place its trust in yet another multibillion-rand promise, Lesufi must account for the money spent on earlier initiatives and demonstrate tangible results.
During his 2026 State of the Province Address (SOPA), Lesufi announced a R8 billion, 30-month programme to refurbish 18 government-owned buildings in Johannesburg’s CBD, and promised more than 2,500 construction jobs.
Yet a walk through the CBD suggests a glaring gap between the announcement and visible progress. Lesufi must account for how many jobs he has created, which buildings he is refurbishing, and how much of the promised investment he has committed.
The Amapanyaza project is another example of what the DA sees as a politics of grand announcements and impressive figures. The government spent half a billion rand on training and related costs for crime-prevention wardens. The Public Protector later determined that their deployment lacked a lawful basis, raising questions about planning, legal oversight and value for money.
On 1 April 2024, Lesufi launched the Gauteng Traffic Police Airwing to strengthen law enforcement and give officers an aerial advantage in the fight against crime. However, the contract, worth about R197.5 million, was terminated on 6 January 2026 following alleged violations of procurement regulations. Around R156.4 million had already been disbursed. Despite this costly setback, no officials have been held accountable to date.
Then there is the e-toll saga. In 2024, Lesufi declared that e-tolls would be “history”, but the debt remained unresolved. In his 2026 SOPA, he acknowledged that Gauteng had paid over R9 billion towards the R20.086 billion e-toll debt. The announcement may have won applause, but it did not make clear that Gauteng residents would still have to bear the cost of the debt.
These examples, in the DA’s view, illustrate a political strategy of presenting grand announcements as achievements while residents wait for results. Lesufi appears more focused on generating headlines than delivering on promises.
As elections approach, Johannesburg’s CBD needs real investment, functioning infrastructure, safer streets and clean public spaces that attract businesses and create sustainable jobs, not another grand promise from a Premier whose record is littered with unfulfilled commitments.
A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government (GPG) would prioritise practical delivery over political gimmicks. We would publish a costed Johannesburg CBD revitalisation plan with clear deadlines, transparent funding, measurable targets and regular progress reports.
The plan would focus on restoring infrastructure, improving street-level safety, enforcing bylaws, maintaining clean public spaces and creating conditions that attract private investment and sustainable jobs.
Msimanga MPL, Leader of the Official Opposition – Gauteng