“Try harder masters,” Lesufi tells the DA

Gauteng Premier and provincial ANC chairperson, Panyaza Lesufi, has hit back at the Democratic Alliance (DA), accusing it of running a relentless and desperate campaign to unseat him, destabilise and choke the province.

“My message to the DA is try harder masters, the slaves have woken up and smelled the coffee,” adds the Premier.

Yesterday, the ANC’s key Government of National Unity (GNU) partner accused him of sitting on reports of forensic investigations into the provincial Social Development department and the conditions at Rahima Moosa Hospital.

Afrikaaners’ interest group, AfriForum, has also made the damning claims against the Gauteng Premier.

The DA says it will be approaching the offices of the Auditor General and the Public Protector to look into why the corruption reports were not made public.

An unfazed Lesufi took to X in response, saying the party is bitter over the Gauteng ANC’s bravery to resist a DA takeover of the province, which the blue party so desperately yearns for.

“The DA has vowed to do this since I am deemed to have robbed them a seat at the GP table based on the announcement of the PGU. It must be noted that the DA was given an opportunity to participate in the GPU but chose not to. Instead, they threw at us what we deemed as unreasonable demands that we could not accept,” says Lesufi.

“Now they are running a campaign to paint me as corrupt, irrational and an ANC rogue. I serve as premier at the behest of my organisation and although I am humbled by the faith the organisation has on my leadership skills, I do not take this appointment for granted I remain resolute that Gauteng and indeed the country needs to prosper for all that live in it. We can only prosper as individuals if our province and our country prosper.”

The premier has urged the DA to stop personalising matters that should be debated in the provincial legislature and start playing a more meaningful role in creating a thriving Gauteng.

His department also issued a statement, refuting AfriForum’s claims.

MEDIA STATEMENT

Premier Panyaza @Lesufi strongly refutes AfriForum allegations as baseless and misleading. pic.twitter.com/Cn195FaCJJ

— Gauteng Provincial Gov (@GautengProvince) October 16, 2024

South Africans are also weighing in on the matter.

The average South African is only worried about a clean and accountable Gauteng government;this seems impossible as long as the Alex Mafia led by @LebogangMaile1 has a choke hold on your government! pic.twitter.com/hA1jehY35g

— Amukelani Moyani (@AmukelaniMoyani) October 16, 2024

The spat over the formation of the PGU without the DA in Gauteng recently caused tension between ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, and Lesufi.

Mbalula summoned Lesufi to Luthuli House over him saying the ANC won’t be dictated to by the DA after Helen Zille accused him of defying national directives and acting independently in the province following Cilliers Brink’s ousting as the Mayor of Tshwane.

Lesufi, however, emerged unscathed after ANC leaders accepted his explanation that he was merely expressing discontent over the DA federal council chairperson’s public criticism of the party and its decisions.