Tasneem Motara appointed acting premier of Gauteng province

Gauteng has a new premier, albeit for a short while.

Premier Panyaza Lesufi has appointed MEC for Human Settlements, Tasneem Motara, as acting premier of the Gauteng Province from Monday, 9 June to Sunday, 15 June 2025.

Motara was appointed in terms of Section 131(1)(a) and Section 13 of the constitution.

China trip

Lesufi’s spokesperson, Sizwe Pamla, said the premier is undertaking a working trip to China to finalise a “landmark agreement with the province of Hunan.”

Pamla said this is in line with the commitment he made during his 2025 State of the Province Address (Sopa).

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“This historic deal will unlock new trade opportunities for provincial SMMEs, granting them access to Hunan’s vast market of over 66 million people across 13 cities, with minimal restrictions.”

Unemployment  

Pamla said the Gauteng-Hunan trade deal aligns with the Gauteng Provincial Government’s (GPG) strategy to tackle unemployment, one of the key challenges identified in the G13 (Gauteng 13 priorities).

“This initiative also supports South Africa’s broader National Development Plan (NDP) 2030, which emphasises Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) as a critical driver of economic growth and job creation.

“The acting premier will assume all the duties, authority, and obligations of the office to ensure the smooth running of the provincial government,” Pamla said.

Sopa

In February, during his Sopa, Lesufi detailed how the provincial government is addressing 13 major challenges affecting the province.

Lesufi emphasised that the provincial government would align with the five-year Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP), prioritising inclusive growth, job creation, poverty reduction, and building an ethical, capable state, as outlined by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Lesufi acknowledged that Gauteng faces 13 pressing issues, including water shortages, cable theft, non-functional traffic lights, potholes, crime, the rapid expansion of informal settlements, electricity challenges (load shedding and load reduction), gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF), drug abuse, inadequate healthcare services, a shortage of schools, failing infrastructure, deteriorating central business districts (CBDs), and unemployment.

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