Lesufi re-elected Gauteng Premier with DA support

14th June 2024 By: Bloomberg

Lesufi re-elected Gauteng Premier with DA support

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi

Lawmakers in South Africa’s Gauteng province, the nation’s economic hub, re-elected the African National Congress’s (ANC's) Panyaza Lesufi as Premier of the region.

Lesufi, who has held the post for almost two years, was re-elected unopposed in the province, where the ANC lost its outright majority in May 29 elections.

The ANC won 34.76% of the May 29 provincial ballot, compared with 50.2% five years ago. The Democratic Alliance, which supported Lesufi’s nomination, got 27.4% of the vote and the Economic Freedom Fighters 12.9%.

Lawmakers elected the ANC’s Morakane Mosupyoe as speaker of the provincial legislature. She was unopposed.

Gauteng makes up a third of South Africa’s gross domestic product. Coalition governments in key municipalities in the province, such as Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni — which includes the country’s biggest airport — have been unstable, with infighting between parties that’s hampered service delivery.