Tone deaf? Lesufi slammed for hotel bathing comment as Gauteng residents endure water crisis
After backlash over his comments, Lesufi apologised and said water challenges hit all residents equally, promising the provincial government remains focused on resolving the crisis and restoring service.
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has come under fire after his comments during a recent media briefing didn't go down so well with those experiencing chronic water shortages in the province.
At the briefing, Lesufi told the media that he and his family are also without water, and he goes to a hotel to bathe and go about his business.
“People think that when there is no water, we and our families, we have special water, we don't. We also go through the same. In some instances, I had to go to a certain hotel so that I could bathe and go to my commitments.
''We also go through the same inconveniences like any other people; there's no special water or special pipe that is designed to service other people and not service other people. Our families, our relatives, ourselves, our constituencies, they suffer the same pain.
We don’t have water when the community doesn’t have water, but what we have is the responsibility to fix the problem, and the problem is almost fixed.”
Gauteng government spokesperson Elijah Mhlanga said that the premier’s reference to a hotel “may have been interpreted in a manner that suggested that the impact of water challenges differs based on one's position in society,” which was never his intention.
Mhlanga said the premier wished to make it “unequivocally clear that water shortages and supply interruptions are an inconvenience and hardship to all residents of Gauteng, regardless of social, economic, or professional standing.”
He added that access to water was a basic human right and that any disruption affected families, communities, businesses, and institutions across the province.
“The water challenges we are experiencing inconvenience everyone equally. No one is immune to the frustration and disruption caused by water shortages, and I regret any impression that suggested otherwise,” said Lesufi.
Mhlanga said the premier remained committed to working with all spheres of government, municipalities, and stakeholders to address water infrastructure challenges and ensure a reliable and sustainable water supply.
He said Lesufi appreciated the “patience and resilience shown by the people of Gauteng” and assured residents that resolving the water crisis remained a top priority.
Reaction
Responding to Lesufi's apology, X users slammed the Premier for his comments.