Fixing crumbling roads, electricity and water infrastructure is the centrepiece of the plans proposed by Gauteng’s hopeful premiers to help return the province to its former glory, boost investments, create new jobs, and improve quality of life.

Individuals from the Democratic Alliance (DA), ActionSA, Rise Mzansi and Build One South Africa — who are vying to be the Gauteng premier after the upcoming general election — all agree that the province’s infrastructure has been neglected over the years, crime and corruption have festered, and ethically compromised people have been appointed to key positions.

On Thursday 9 May during a Daily Maverick debate, the Gauteng premier candidates for four parties outlined their policy positions and proposals on job creation, fixing the water and electricity crisis, and powers that provincial governments need to set the service delivery agenda.

The ANC and EFF declined invitations to take part in the debate.

Solly Msimanga, the DA leader in Gauteng, estimated that the province’s infrastructure investment and maintenance backlog stood at R500-billion. The neglected spending on infrastructure by previous ANC-led administrations in the Gauteng province has resulted in the unreliability of electricity and water supply as well as the dysfunction of passenger rail services, said Msimanga.

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“We need to start with infrastructure investments in the province and fixing the infrastructure that already exists. By doing so, we will not only improve water and electricity delivery but also maintain the jobs that are already there and create new ones.” When infrastructure is fixed, investment from the private sector will naturally follow, resulting in more people being employed, said Msimanga.

The DA’s Solly Msimanga (left) with Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster of Build One South Africa during the Premier Debate. (Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee)

Reuben Masango of ActionSA supported Msimanga’s views, adding that infrastructure investments and maintenance should also extend to human settlements.

“We need to get the economy running. And one of the ways to do that is by turning bad and hijacked buildings into low-cost housing. This will not only improve infrastructure and provide housing for people, but also create jobs for skilled people such as artisans,”  said Masango, who stood in for ActionSA’s  Gauteng premier candidate, Funzi Ngobeni, during the debate.

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ActionSA’s jobs plan is also predicated on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and ensuring that the operating environment is enabling their growth. “We need to support SMMEs as that is where jobs are created. That is where a lot of jobs for the unskilled are created. Reducing red tape for SMMEs is important,” said Masango.  ActionSA believes that the incoming Gauteng premier needs to collaborate with tertiary institutions and adequately fund them, especially those that offer vocational training that prepares young people for a skilled craft as an artisan, trade as a tradesperson, or work as a technician.

Reuben Masango of ActionSA during the Gauteng Premier Debate. (Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee)

A new approach to job creation

While Rise Mzansi and Build One South Africa believe that infrastructure investments are key to improving service delivery and creating jobs, both parties believe the approach to job creation needs a rethink. After all, the Gauteng province has the fifth largest official unemployment rate (after the Eastern Cape, North West, Free State, and Mpumalanga) of 33.8% during the last three months of 2023. The unemployment rate swells to 38.4% when including people who are discouraged and have given up on looking for work.

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Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster during the Premier Debate. (Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee)

Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, a leader of Build One South Africa (Bosa), said the Gauteng province has relied far too long on the mainstream sectors in the economy to create jobs, which hasn’t worked. She argued that Gauteng needs to focus on reviving sectors such as manufacturing, entrepreneurship, and entertainment.

“We have to make sure that businesses are stimulated. We have focused on the township economy. While making sure that we are developing infrastructure, we need to do this in townships and rural areas. We have to identify townships and businesses that are in Special Economic Zones and give them tax breaks and incentives.  This will ensure that we have healthy communities, ensure that people have jobs, and we reduce spatial inequality,” said Hlazo-Webster.

Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, the Rise Mzansi Gauteng premier candidate, outlined the party’s plan to grow the economy and create over 600,000 new jobs over the next five years, which also involves stimulating the province’s manufacturing capabilities.

Premier Debate. Vuyiswa Ramokgopa – RISE Mzansi, Gauteng Premier Candidate. (Photo: Ihsaan Haffejee)

“We have to invest in strategic industries such as manufacturing, green, business processing, and outsourcing. The manufacturing industry in Gauteng has not grown since 2008. We have to reignite high employment sectors such as manufacturing. We have to give businesses access to low-cost capital so that they can expand,” said Ramokgopa.

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Being unemployed and looking for a job is a costly exercise, and Ramokgopa said the Gauteng province should implement programmes to reduce the associated costs. “We need to bring down the cost of transport by bringing back rail infrastructure and trains. What also makes being employed hard is that companies want young people to have workplace experience. We need to develop youth work experience programmes, which enable people to serve in public and private sectors for a year to gain experience. About 48% of unemployed people in the Gauteng province do not have a matric certificate. We also need to invest in technical skills such as the artisanal market,” said Ramokgopa.

“We so enjoyed the debate. It provided great insight into the various parties’ strategic plans and approaches. Of particular interest to us at the Youth Employment Service (YES), was to hear the candidates touch on their plans to tackle the scourge of unemployment in the province. We hope Daily Maverick will host the same debate at a national level.”

Leanne Emery-Hunter (COO) and Simona Mazza (Head of Strategic Research & Marketing Services) Youth Employment Service (YES)

“The Daily Maverick Gauteng Premier Debate gave me hope for the first time in a very long time. As a Gauteng resident I didn’t believe I really had an option with my vote, last night galvanized me into making my vote count and aligning myself with the party that really represents my views.”

Kerryn Greenleaf, Parkhurst Resident

In dealing with the water and electricity crisis in Gauteng, Rise Mzansi has proposed dealing with poor governance in the province by appointing capable people to key positions and also taking a tough stance on corruption. At a service delivery level, Ramokgopa said the province should embrace the private sector as a partner for delivery to fund the R100-billion that is required to improve water infrastructure and subsidise poor households for solar panel installations to deal with frequent power outages in the province.

Tackling corruption is a strong point that Bosa’s Hlazo-Webster argued to improve service delivery. “There has been corruption in contracts for water maintenance. We need to make sure that there are investigations and prosecutions. We have to appoint the right people that are responsible for water. We have cadre deployment for water,” she said.

The delivery of services by provinces has limitations. It is the national government, during every fiscal year, that determines the budgets and service delivery agenda for provinces. And this often results in spending initiatives on health and education being prioritised, at the expense of other service delivery initiatives. All Gauteng premier candidates agreed that provinces should have more powers to determine their budgets and spending priorities.

Virtual Event

In the virtual event, 720 attendees participated in a lively discussion in the virtual chat room. They debated the statements politicians made on stage, participated in polls and supported their favourite candidates. 

Online poll

Polled at the end of the event about whether the debate made them change their minds about who to vote for, 35% of participants said, ‘yes!’ 

“Very impressed with all candidates, quite honestly,” said Ulrico in the chat. “How fortunate that we have this kind of talent pool waiting in the wings of our politics. Potentially the best political landscape we’ve had since ‘94.” Ketlane Mathebula commented “Thanks for the opportunity to be able to air our views and pose questions to the aspirant politicians” DM