IN CONVERSATION WITH SIZWE PAMLA, Spokesperson for Gauteng Premier, Panyaza Lesufi.
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The Gauteng Provincial Government notes with astonishment the latest
attempt by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to misrepresent the facts
surrounding the significant Heineken Soufflet Malt South Africa investment in
Sedibeng. The party’s claim that Premier Panyaza Lesufi is attempting to take
credit for a deal secured solely by the Midvaal Mayor is not only false but
also a deliberate distortion of a well-documented, collaborative process.
The DA’s statement is a classic example of post-truth politics, where invented
narratives are preferred over documented facts. Since the 2024 elections,
the DA in Gauteng has increasingly abandoned fact-based discourse,
resorting to the invention of alternative facts and realities to maintain its
relevance. In the space of a year, they have publicly shifted from constructive
opposition to baseless attacks and now to self-serving fiction.
The uncontested truth is that Premier Lesufi personally engaged with the
leadership of Heineken on 14 November 2023 in a meeting that was widely
covered by the media. This engagement was a critical part of the provincial
09:15
government’s proactive strategy to attract and facilitate investment.
Therefore, to suggest that Premier Lesufi was not instrumental in this
process is to ignore a publicly recorded event.
What the DA sees today is an outcome of the provincial government’s
coherent economic vision and sustained efforts to create an enabling
environment for business, resulting in our province’s attractiveness to global
corporations like Heineken.
It is striking that whenever the provincial government, in its SOPA, laid out a
concrete industrial strategy and announced tangible investment pledges
from active investor engagements, the DA has been consistently dismissive.
Now, however, it sees fit to distribute self-serving fiction to claim credit.
The Gauteng government has long identified the Southern Corridor, including
Sedibeng, as a strategic manufacturing hub, with a specific focus on agro-
processing, a sector into which this malting plant falls perfectly.
The province has also built a supportive ecosystem that has seen it offering
unparalleled advantages in industrial activity, consumer markets, and
national distribution networks.
Sensibly, all municipalities, including Midvaal, are always involved in the final
logistical stages of hosting such investments, but the overarching framework,
high-level facilitation, and strategic direction are driven by the provincial
government. The DA’s deepening desperation is evident in its attempt to
reduce this complex, province-led achievement to a single municipal
transaction. The Gauteng government is not competing with Midvaal. What
is regrettable is that the DA's conduct undermines the municipality's
contribution by inventing facts and claiming easy victories to construct a
narrative of success. We remain focused on replicating the success of the
Heineken investment across the province by improving governance,
attracting further investment, and creating jobs through our cohesive
provincial economic plan.
attempt by the Democratic Alliance (DA) to misrepresent the facts
surrounding the significant Heineken Soufflet Malt South Africa investment in
Sedibeng. The party’s claim that Premier Panyaza Lesufi is attempting to take
credit for a deal secured solely by the Midvaal Mayor is not only false but
also a deliberate distortion of a well-documented, collaborative process.
The DA’s statement is a classic example of post-truth politics, where invented
narratives are preferred over documented facts. Since the 2024 elections,
the DA in Gauteng has increasingly abandoned fact-based discourse,
resorting to the invention of alternative facts and realities to maintain its
relevance. In the space of a year, they have publicly shifted from constructive
opposition to baseless attacks and now to self-serving fiction.
The uncontested truth is that Premier Lesufi personally engaged with the
leadership of Heineken on 14 November 2023 in a meeting that was widely
covered by the media. This engagement was a critical part of the provincial
09:15
government’s proactive strategy to attract and facilitate investment.
Therefore, to suggest that Premier Lesufi was not instrumental in this
process is to ignore a publicly recorded event.
What the DA sees today is an outcome of the provincial government’s
coherent economic vision and sustained efforts to create an enabling
environment for business, resulting in our province’s attractiveness to global
corporations like Heineken.
It is striking that whenever the provincial government, in its SOPA, laid out a
concrete industrial strategy and announced tangible investment pledges
from active investor engagements, the DA has been consistently dismissive.
Now, however, it sees fit to distribute self-serving fiction to claim credit.
The Gauteng government has long identified the Southern Corridor, including
Sedibeng, as a strategic manufacturing hub, with a specific focus on agro-
processing, a sector into which this malting plant falls perfectly.
The province has also built a supportive ecosystem that has seen it offering
unparalleled advantages in industrial activity, consumer markets, and
national distribution networks.
Sensibly, all municipalities, including Midvaal, are always involved in the final
logistical stages of hosting such investments, but the overarching framework,
high-level facilitation, and strategic direction are driven by the provincial
government. The DA’s deepening desperation is evident in its attempt to
reduce this complex, province-led achievement to a single municipal
transaction. The Gauteng government is not competing with Midvaal. What
is regrettable is that the DA's conduct undermines the municipality's
contribution by inventing facts and claiming easy victories to construct a
narrative of success. We remain focused on replicating the success of the
Heineken investment across the province by improving governance,
attracting further investment, and creating jobs through our cohesive
provincial economic plan.
