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Gauteng SOPA Must Offer Accountability, Action, and Real Solutions

GOOD Statement by Matthew Cook, GOOD National Chairperson:

As Premier Lesufi prepares to deliver his 2026 State of the Province Address later today, GOOD calls on him to deliver an honest account of progress, clear explanations for unfulfilled commitments, and concrete, time-bound actions for the many challenges facing our province.

Over the years, Premier Lesufi has made a series of ambitious promises to improve the lives of Gauteng residents.

In his 2023 SOPA, he committed to accelerating economic recovery, fighting crime and corruption, transforming townships and informal settlements, strengthening state capacity, and improving health services.

In 2024, he repeated his promise to eradicate shack settlements and upgrade informal settlements into habitable communities, stating that plans were underway to provide water, electricity, and sanitation, and formalise 68 informal settlements.

In 2025, he identified Gauteng’s “13 problem areas,” including water shortages, crime, electricity challenges, rising informal settlements, lack of schools, and unemployment, and outlined plans to invest in infrastructure and jobs.

However, too many of these commitments remain unfulfilled. Informal settlements continue to grow, service delivery failures persist, basic infrastructure remains inadequate, and many communities still lack access to reliable water, electricity, and decent schools.

In 2025, critics from across the political spectrum characterised the SOPA as heavy on rhetoric and light on actionable plans; this is an assessment that must be taken seriously by the provincial government.

GOOD calls on the Premier to do more than repeat familiar problems; he must acknowledge where promises have fallen short, explain why implementation has lagged, and present clear, measurable outcomes with realistic timelines.

GOOD believes that the people of Gauteng deserve leadership that is both ambitious and accountable. A State of the Province Address must assess not only aspirations but also the performance of what has been promised previously. It must include clear action plans that citizens can measure, monitor, and hold the government to account.

We urge Premier Lesufi to use this moment to reset expectations and commit to realistic outcomes that will improve the lives of Gauteng residents. Only then can hope be restored that the promises announced from the SOPA podium translate into tangible improvements in everyday life.

GOOD Corruption: GOOD is vocal against corruption and advocates for transparency in government.

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Source – MyZA

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Constitution Hill: Architecture

In a masterstroke of symbolic architecture, the Constitutional Court was built directly onto the site of the former Awaiting Trial Block. During its construction, the prison block was demolished, but its bricks were salvaged and used to build the new court’s interior walls. This was a deliberate choice to show that the very materials once used to imprison people and violate their rights are now used to protect them. The court’s design is based on the concept of Lekgotla—the traditional African practice of seeking justice under a tree. Inside the foyer, slanting columns mimic tree trunks, and light filters through “leaves” in the ceiling to create a dappled effect on the floor.