Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has committed himself to helping the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM) become a better place for residents through the delivery of services by Emfuleni Local Municipality.

Lesufi, flanked by various MECs, Mayors, and government officials, led a multidisciplinary service delivery operation in ELM yesterday.
Key activities undertaken during the operation included school safety campaigns, waste management and illegal dumping clean-up, road maintenance, bylaw and general law enforcement.

The visit follows the recent signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 15 April 2025 at the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus, which enables cross-municipal collaboration among law enforcement agencies.

During his keynote address at the Saul Tsotetsi Sports Complex in Zone 14, Lesufi told ELM Mayor Sipho Radebe that the area was dirty, with sewage flowing from one street to the other.

He said that he was happy that Radebe was aware of the situation and spoke about the issues the municipality faces firsthand. Lesufi said that he would never forsake the Vaal Triangle but urged the ELM to come to the party and to start doing better in terms of delivering services to the people.

“We have to get Emfuleni right. We must make sure that Emfuleni becomes one of the municipalities that we are proud of.”

Talking about matters of safety, Lesufi lauded multi-disciplinary forces on the ground who carried out simultaneous operations throughout the district. The operations resulted in the arrest of more than 160 undocumented persons.

Lesufi said that Gauteng is not a playground for criminals. He said those who are responsible for various crimes would be brought to book. Lesufi said the time for talking had come to an end, adding that it is now time to implement.

“I can confidently say we have turned the corner. We have pooled our resources and ensured that law enforcement is now visible in our communities. Today’s activities confirm that we have moved from agreement to implementation,” said the Premier.

Lesufi emphasised the critical link between safety and economic growth: “If we do not deal with crime in our province, we will not get our economy right.”