Gauteng Premier Panyaza has apologised to the 32 000 young teacher assistants, and promised that more jobs will be created and they will be considered.
Contracts were terminated a few weeks ago, leaving the youths heartbroken since they were back on the unemployment list.
Earlier this year, the DA labelled the promise of jobs as electioneering by Lesufi. This was after the youths were promised that their one-year contracts would be extended for another 12 months.
“When we met earlier during Sopa (State of the Province Address), we committed to creating more job opportunities for our unemployed through our Nasi iSpani programme.
“It is now public record, as per the latest labour survey report, that Gauteng has recorded a net increase of 115 000 jobs between quarter 2 of 2023 and quarter 3 of 2024, while provinces such as the Western Cape saw the largest decrease in employment,” said Lesufi.
He said Gauteng continued to account for over 30% of national employment and over 40% of labour market growth, which highlights its role as an economic hub of the country.
Lesufi said that, to date, almost 130 000 people who were unemployed a year ago had now found job opportunities.
“We are ramping up this drive to provide immediate relief to unemployed people in this province while enhancing the delivery of critical social services to the residents of Gauteng.
“Unfortunately, we lost 32 000 young people who were teacher assistants. We are proud that we were the only province that had extended their contracts. We will open new opportunities for them and other young people of our province with time.
“While we realise the potential of this programme, the fiscal constraints are a reality which can only be overcome by aggressively exploring funding opportunities and partnerships,” said Lesufi.
He said a number of promises he made at the end of the sixth administration had come to fruition.
Speaking during the Sopa in Katlehong on Thursday evening, Lesufi said he had promised to get rid of e-tolls.
“Today e-tolls are gone and are history. Load shedding back then was a headache, that headache is gone. I promised a state bank and a pharmaceutical company – today I can reveal that we have been approached by local and international banks to be their partners.”
Lesufi announced that a lifestyle audit on heads of departments (HODs) had been completed, and from the fraud detection report, there were those who passed and there were those who did not. He promised to release the report soon.
This left some politicians from the opposition parties howling, while ANC members applauded the news.
DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga this week indicated that they were expecting Lesufi to release the report as part of fighting corruption.
“With a view to upholding the position as the economic hub, we will accelerate our infrastructure investment. In less than two years, the Gauteng government will invest R120 billion in the expansion of Gautrain to Soweto, via Fourways, Mamelodi, Atteridgeville, Lanseria and Springs. The expansion is expected to create 125 00 jobs during construction over a five-year period,” Lesufi said.
Lesufi announced that in the next 100 days, he will be signing delivery agreements with each MEC to spell out the commitments they are making to improve the lives of all Gauteng residents over the next five years. “These delivery agreements will be made public and I will hold routine sessions with MECs to assess progress and identify blockages that impact our ability to deliver,” he said.
To fight crime, Lesufi said from next month they will immediately deploy tons of security law enforcement agencies, day and night, around the CBD. “We will also broaden our CCTV network. As soon as we have received the report of the Khampepe Commission on hijacked buildings, we will invigorate the efforts to reclaim hijacked and abandoned buildings. This announcement should serve as a strong warning to the criminal underworld who have turned Johannesburg into their private fiefdom that the arm of the law is about to strike and strike hard,” he said.
The premier also announced that new hospitals will be built in parts of Gauteng so that more residents can access health care.
Lesufi officially opened the Gauteng provincial cabinet for the seventh administration under the new Government of Provincial Unity (GPU), which has been characterised by the recent resignation of Joburg mayor Kabelo Gwamanda this week.
Ahead of his address, scores of Gauteng youth brigades protested outside the venue singing songs saying: “Panyaza we are suffering.”
The reason for the protest action was to draw attention to their requests for permanent appointments which were allegedly promised by the premier recently.
During his speech, Lesufi paid tribute to women, including former ministers Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma and Dr Naledi Pandor, for their contribution to the Struggle for freedom. Lesufi also reported on some of the progress made over the previous administration.
He also paid tribute to four athletes, including Bayanda Walaza, who won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics as part of South Africa’s 4x100m relay team.
Lesufi advised his colleagues that this was only the beginning and that they all need to work hard.
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