Panyaza Lesufi Lashes Out at Democratic Alliance, Accuses Them of Smear Campaign

• Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi came out guns blazing against the Democratic Alliance in an X post
• Lesufi accused the DA of launching a campaign to remove him as the premier of Gauteng
• He emphasised that the DA's attack against him was because the party failed in negotiating to be part of Gauteng's provincial government

With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties and Parliament.

JOHANNESBURG—The war between Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and the Democratic Alliance intensified as Lesufi launched a fresh attack on it.

Lesufi grills the DA

@Lesufi posted on his X account, which he recently deactivated for a few hours before reactivating it. He tore into the party in a lengthy post and accused it of launching a "relentless and desperate" campaign to remove him as the province's Premier. He also accused the DA of trying to destabilise the province.

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Lesufi said the party's absence from Gauteng's Government of Provincial Unity was the rationale behind the smear campaign. Negotiations between the DA and the African National Congress in Gauteng broke down after the ANC lost its majority during the 2024 general elections. Lesufi believes that the DA is bitter because the door to their participation in the provincial government was shut.

"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. Now they are running a campaign to paint me as a corrupt, irrational ANC rogue," he said.

"It makes me wonder where we would be had we not been brave enough to resist the DA takeover of GP... Try harder, masters. The slaves have woken up and smelled the coffee."

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View the tweet here:

South Africans were behind Lesufi

Netizens threw their weight behind Lesufi, and some were worried about him.

ZARWorker said:

"Clearly, they see you as a problem for the planned merger between the ANC and DA. You better have another plan. You won't survive within this ANC."

Lucky Kunene said:

"DA and Gogo Zille suffer from a superiority complex."

Nelisiwe said:

"Gauteng needs to prosper without them in charge of the province."

Nonduku said:

"Resist wena Panyaza. Don't give in to the racist DA."

David Mogashoa said:

"We stand with you in these difficult times."

ANC summons Lesufi

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the ANC recently summoned Lesufi to appear before the party's Integrity Commission.

The party's secretary general, Fikile Mbalula, accused Lesufi of publicly opposing the GNU.

Source: Briefly News