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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi speaking at a government event.
Rise Mzansi and the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) have hit out at Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lefusi for his controversial comments amid the water provision crisis in Gauteng.
Lesufi made headlines for all the wrong reasons for saying that, as politicians, they experienced the same problems of water cuts just as everyone else, arguing that the situation had once forced him to go to a hotel to take a bath.
The comments were widely criticised as being insensitive to the realities of many South Africans who may not have the luxury to go to any hotel when they find themselves in a similar situation.
Rise Mzansi’s Makashule Gana has criticised Lesufi’s comments as insensitive.
“For me, is that at all times, especially if you are a leader, don’t just speak just from your vantage point. Understand that, when someone tells you that they are having an issue, you need to be saying what are we doing to resolve the issue,” says Gana.
“Water is life and if something does not have water, and they are used to turning on the tap, their way of life gets affected and we always need to be sensitive to that,” he adds.
Rise Manzi’s Chief Organizer, Makashule Gana, says leaders need to be sensitive to the issues South Africans struggle with. This is response Gauteng Premier #PanyazaLesufi‘s controversial comments amid the water crisis. Lesufi has since apologized. #SONA2026 #SABCNEWS pic.twitter.com/ccT6PNQPoM
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) February 12, 2026
EFF Spokesperso Sinawo Tambo, says Lesufi was speaking from a position of privilege, which is contradictory to the realities of the majority of South Africans.
“The inconvenience of a high school student in Khayelitsha is that he can’t bathe and go to school. The inconvenience of a child in Alexandra is that they can’t brush their teeth and they can’t cook a meal, and the inconvenience of someone in Soweto is that they are going to be leaving in the indignity of not having water for four weeks or a couple of months,” says Tambo.
Lesufi has since sought to clarify his comments and apologise for the harm caused.
However, Tambo has rejected the apology.
“You can’t apologise for something that is a fact that you are living a more lavish life than those you are leading,” he adds.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the State of the Nation Address at 19h00.
Panyaza Lesufi, who’s trending for comments he made amid the water crisis in Gauteng, should not apologize for a “fact that he’s living a more lavish life than the people he’s leading”, that’s according EFF’s Sinawo Tambo.
Lesufi has since apologized. #SONA2026 #SABCNEWS pic.twitter.com/81aTnKEEOl
— Sipho King K Kekana (@KingKAzania) February 12, 2026
