ILAWU Gauteng State of the Province Address @KASIBCNEWS

The Independent Liberation and Allied Workers Union (ILAWU) wishes to address the Gauteng State of the Province Address delivered by Premier Panyaza Lesufi on the 24th of February 2025.

ILAWU is disappointed by the lack of substance in Premier Lesufi's address, which once again failed to provide concrete implementation plans and clear timelines for the promises made. This recurring trend of unfulfilled commitments erodes the trust and hopes of the people of Gauteng. 

ILAWU acknowledges Premier Panyaza Lesufi's accurate identification of the challenges facing the province, including issues such as unreliable water supply, high crime rates, underfunded education, a struggling healthcare system, electricity shortages, and rising unemployment, we are dismayed by the absence of genuine, transformative solutions in his address.

The 2025 State of the Province Address (SOPA) was characterized by recycled promises, superficial interventions, and misplaced priorities that do not address the urgent needs of our province.

Regarding healthcare, Lesufi's proposals to reduce queues, implement paperless hospitals, and improve queue management are unrealistic given the understaffing in our hospitals. The suggestion of an Uber-like transport system for medication raises questions about funding sources. 

Additionally, while Lesufi claims that surgical backlogs have been cleared, the reality in our hospitals paints a different picture, with shortages of equipment and frozen positions severely impacting surgical units.

ILAWU urges the Gauteng government to move beyond rhetoric and deliver tangible solutions that will truly uplift the people of our province. The time for empty promises is over; action is needed to address the pressing challenges facing Gauteng.

ILAWU advocates for a shift towards a developmental state that actively engages in the economy. It is imperative to embark on a deliberate initiative to reindustrialize Gauteng and establish it as a hub of productivity for the nation. This entails investing in production and manufacturing infrastructure, bolstering local industries, and leveraging state assets to propel economic transformation. By preserving and enhancing public assets, the state can cultivate a robust economy that benefits all citizens, rather than resorting to asset sales for short-term financial relief.

The residents of Gauteng must persist in rejecting a government that consistently falls short of their expectations. Despite the ANC government's annual grandiose plans, the harsh reality persists - inadequate electricity, water shortages, job scarcity, lack of security, and a bleak future for the youth. Premier Lesufi's State of the Province Address was merely a compilation of hollow promises that will not bring tangible improvements to the lives of ordinary individuals. 

ILAWU stands as the sole workers' union dedicated to economic emancipation, the permanent absorption of all Expanded Public Works Programme participants, and effective crimea prevention strategies. The era of empty pledges is over. Gauteng merits better, and ILAWU, will hold the government accountable in the legislature and advocate for the permanent employment of all EPWPs within the Department of Health, who have diligently served the department for over 17 years under precarious contract terms. It is time to grant EPWPs permanent employment