Following oversight visits to Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday met with the Johannesburg Metro Council, as part of the seventh administration’s priority to enhance intergovernmental coordination.

As part of the requirements outlined in the District Development Model, Ramaphosa will visit with leadership of all nine provinces, all in an effort to improve service delivery.

His visit to Gauteng comes after Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s State of the Province Address (SoPA) last week, in which Lesufi reiterated commitment to the priorities of the Medium Term Development Plan.

This includes improving growth and employment, reducing poverty and addressing high living costs, and building a “capable, ethical and developmental State”.

Ramaphosa pointed out that the Gauteng meeting was taking place during Human Rights Month, and stressed the rights to water, sanitation, healthcare, housing and education.

“It is our duty to ensure that these rights are not just enshrined in our Constitution but are actively realised through tangible and impactful service delivery. People should not only be aware of their right to these services but should actively experience them in their daily lives. We therefore have to continue to harness the power of collaboration to overcome obstacles and implement sustainable solutions that will uplift our communities.

“Through unity and action, we must create a future where the rights of all South Africans are upheld, and where every citizen can access the quality services they rightfully deserve. The District Development Model, which we introduced in the previous administration, remains our guiding framework for cooperative governance and service delivery,” he said.

Ramaphosa noted Lesufi’s SoPA warning that if challenges were not addressed then progress would be undermined.

While he identified Gauteng’s challenges as governance failures, financial mismanagement, crumbling infrastructure, crime and lawlessness and unreliable service delivery, he said the greatest was unemployment and poverty.

“Gauteng’s unique position in the national landscape is both an opportunity and a challenge. While it may be the smallest province in terms of land size, it is a giant in many other respects. Gauteng contributes the largest share of any province to the country’s GDP. It is the single most critical economic hub in the country, serving as a powerhouse of finance, governance, industry and innovation. The economic success of Gauteng is integral to the economic success of South Africa,” he stressed.

He said the outcomes from this meeting must be put to practice to better serve Gauteng residents.

He welcomed the province’s plan to build on the “success” of the South Africa Investment Conference and host the inaugural Gauteng Investment Conference in April, as well as plans to strengthen township economic development, agro-processing, and small, medium-sized and microenterprise development.

“We eagerly anticipate the forthcoming presentation from the province, which will provide valuable insights into the key priorities, challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Let us seize this moment with urgency and determination, ensuring that every commitment made here today is followed by decisive action,” Ramaphosa said.