By Simon Nare
The South African Communist Party (SACP) in Gauteng has thrown its support behind Premier Panyaza Lesufi, crediting his intervention for securing the adoption of the province’s 2026/27 budget after a reconfiguration of the Government of Provincial Unity (GPU).
In a statement on Thursday, the SACP warned that failure to pass the budget in Gauteng, South Africa’s primary economic hub, contributing roughly a third of national GDP, would have triggered instability.
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The R179.2-billion budget, originally tabled by former Finance MEC Lebogang Maile, allocates more than 80% of funding to health, education and social development.
The province’s total allocation over the 2026 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework stands at R549.3 billion.
Maile has since been replaced by EFF Gauteng leader Nkululeko Dunga.
“This reality must be understood against growing instability in several municipalities across Gauteng, where fragile coalitions and weak council majorities have repeatedly disrupted governance,” the SACP said.
It added that failure to pass the budget would have had immediate consequences for millions of residents and government operations, affecting spending, infrastructure delivery, procurement processes and urgent interventions in water, roads, health and education.
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The SACP said the eventual adoption of the budget was a necessary intervention to prevent further instability, noting that many municipalities in the province were already under pressure due to governance challenges and fragile political arrangements.
The party attributed the breakthrough to Lesufi’s cabinet reshuffle and the inclusion of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in the GPU, describing the move as aligned with decisions of the Alliance Political Council.
“As the SACP, we join Alliance partners in accepting the changes within the provincial executive as necessary to protect governance stability, safeguard the developmental mandate of the province, and ensure continuity,” it said.
The party also criticised the Democratic Alliance (DA), accusing it of attempting to weaken Lesufi through a failed motion of no confidence and a broader campaign against him.
It said the reshuffle was not driven by personalities but by the need to maintain “strategic cohesion” within the alliance.
Lesufi said the changes were aimed at averting a financial crisis and improving service delivery after opposition parties rejected the initial budget.
During the reshuffle, Lesufi appointed Dunga as Finance MEC while shifting Maile to the education portfolio.
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