Premier Panyaza Lesufi delivered the third State of the Province Address of the Seventh Administration under the Government of Provincial Unity, presenting a report-back on commitments made while acknowledging both progress and shortcomings.

Speaking with a tone that blended accountability and determination, he reaffirmed his responsibility as the face of the province and offered a sincere apology where the government may have fallen short or misrepresented its work.

 

Quoting an African proverb — “The hands that make mistakes belong to those who work hard” — Lesufi framed the address as both reflection and renewal.

His speech centered on water security, infrastructure resilience, crime prevention, health reform, road rehabilitation, and agricultural recovery.

 

The defining crisis of the year came on 27 January 2026, when an unexpected water shortage struck the province.

A massive explosion at the Rand Water plant triggered a fire that damaged transmission equipment and severely disrupted water supply across multiple municipalities.

Within hours, the province shifted into emergency mode.

 

Lesufi detailed that the immediate damage was repaired within 72 hours: the fire was extinguished and burst pipes restored.

However, the broader system shock left water levels dangerously low.

The President responded by dispatching a ministerial team to assist, while provincial water emergency teams operated around the clock.

 

An extraordinary proclamation by the Minister of Water and Sanitation allowed Rand Water to extract additional volumes from the Vaal River Integrated Water System, stabilizing supply.

Midrand was the first major suburban area to be severely impacted, but Lesufi announced that water supply there has now been fully restored.

Progress has also been achieved in other affected areas such as Soshanguve, except for certain zones and reservoir-dependent regions that required further intervention.

 

On the western side of the province, water supply in Kagiso and surrounding areas has stabilized.

Ekurhuleni’s supply has also normalized, with the exception of Bedfordview and parts of Germiston.

Supply in Tshwane, Sedibeng, and West Rand municipalities is largely stable, though nighttime throttling has been implemented in certain areas — including Kensington, Bezuidenhout Valley, Bruma, and Berea — to reduce pressure and allow system recovery.

 

Lesufi acknowledged that some neighborhoods remain particularly difficult to stabilize, including Westdene, Coronationville, Sophiatown, Melville, Emmarentia, and sections of Randburg.

To address these challenges, a R760 million infrastructure upgrade is underway in Johannesburg through a phased program.

 

Phase one includes constructing a new ground reservoir and tower in Brixton, scheduled to go live immediately to boost supply in affected zones.

An emergency boosting pump station will follow within days.

The permanent solution — phase two — involves completing a five-kilometer pipeline by year’s end.

 

Lesufi emphasized that the province’s water crisis was not due to lack of water resources but infrastructure failures, leaks, and demand spikes.

He urged stakeholders not to politicize the crisis, noting that when other provinces faced similar “Day Zero” threats, Gauteng did not exploit the situation.

To prevent future disruptions, the province is prioritizing water storage investment.

The goal is to develop storage capacity sufficient to sustain supply for at least seven days during emergencies.

In Midrand, a new facility will store 20 million liters of water, with private developers contributing an additional 10 million liters.

Similar projects are underway in Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, and western municipalities.

 

Lesufi thanked municipalities, especially Ekurhuleni, for maintaining acceptable water quality standards.

He apologized again to residents still experiencing inconvenience and reiterated the principle: “Water is life. Sanitation is dignity.”

Turning to law enforcement, Lesufi addressed illegal mining and gangsterism in West Rand communities.

Joint operations involving police, army units, and specialized provincial task teams targeted zama zamas who had intimidated residents in Sporum and other areas.

 

Since the deployment of the army, 75 AK-47 rifles and ammunition have been recovered.

Lesufi credited the President for authorizing military support and expressed confidence that intensified security presence will permanently dismantle criminal networks and restore safety to affected communities.

Infrastructure repair extended to traffic signals and roads.

The province now reports 4,786 functional traffic lights, though 699 remain non-operational due largely to vandalism and theft.

A new pilot program with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is testing alternative technologies to reduce signal theft and sabotage.

 

Lesufi appealed to communities to report vandalism immediately, acknowledging that repeated destruction creates a cycle of repair and recurrence.

 

Potholes were identified as another key priority.

Of 31,000 recorded potholes, 26,000 have been repaired.

However, weather patterns and substandard repair methods have led to reoccurrence in some cases.

To break dependency on private contractors who sometimes perform poor-quality work, the provincial government plans to invest in municipal asphalt plants so that government can conduct road repairs internally and reduce tender exploitation.

 

On health reform, Lesufi expressed optimism about advancements in HIV/AIDS prevention.

He announced the province’s intention to be the first to stock and distribute the newly developed HIV prevention vaccine once approved nationally.

If implemented effectively, he said, the vaccine could mark a generational breakthrough in combating HIV/AIDS.

Agriculture presented another pressing challenge.

The province has been hit by one of the most severe foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in recent history, beginning in April 2025 due to illegal cattle movement.

By January 2026, 195 confirmed cases affecting approximately 261,000 cattle were recorded, with likely underreporting.

 

In response, the provincial government implemented coordinated measures including livestock movement controls, quarantine protocols, vaccination campaigns, and intensified roadblocks.

To date, 286 cattle have been vaccinated, with additional vaccine doses secured.

Farmers have been urged to strengthen biosecurity measures and cooperate fully with veterinary authorities.

 

Lesufi concluded with a message of unity and resilience.

While acknowledging setbacks — whether water outages, infrastructure damage, crime threats, or agricultural disease — he framed the province’s trajectory as one of recovery and reform.

He emphasized cooperation across all three spheres of government and private-sector collaboration in water storage expansion.

He reaffirmed commitments to safety, infrastructure modernization, public health breakthroughs, and agricultural containment strategies.

 

The address reflected a balancing act: defending the administration’s record while acknowledging frustrations felt by residents.

It presented a narrative of emergency response, structural repair, and long-term investment aimed at strengthening resilience against future crises.